


An Old Flame

by Mullach



Series: Avatar: Post Comics Fanon [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Humor, Post-Canon, Romance, Series, post-comics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-02-08 23:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12875643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mullach/pseuds/Mullach
Summary: Sequel to Unintentional Dating. Suki, having noticed Zuko becoming stressed from his work, sets up a trip to Ba Sing Se to meet a certain Earth Kingdom girl with a crush on Lee. Despite Zuko and Suki's attempts denial, rumours of their attraction have begun to spread among the Kyoshi Warriors, and their feelings towards each other don't make it easy to put a stop to those whispers





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome everyone, to the next part of my Avatar series! As I said, this story will deal with the Zuki side of things after the events of Unintentional Dating, and the fun that they got up to. Chronologically, this story begins just a bit before Three's Company, and eventually the two stories take place roughly around the same time. For those of you who are new to my little series, I'd suggest going to my profile and starting from Repaying a Debt (Or Unintentional Dating if you're more interested in the Tokka side of things.) I would suggest reading the first part of chapter 1 of Three's Company just to get an idea of where this story starts off, as I know it seems to start a bit suddenly.  
> 

"You said I'd get the VIP treatment, Sparky. Where's the carriage?!" Toph said as she walked over to Zuko, Suki, and Ty Lee.

"Carriage?" Zuko repeated, giving Toph a confused look.

"To escort me to the harbour? You weren't expecting me to walk all the way down there myself, were you?" Toph crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow at him.

"I promised you a trip home on one of the more lavish ships, but I never said anything about a carriage," he said, grinning. He frowned when she simply shrugged and turned away.

"It'll probably be faster earthbending my way through the city, anyway." Toph dug her foot into the barren stone, and smirked at him over her shoulder. "You don't mind a couple of streets and buildings being destroyed, do you?"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Think about who you're saying that to, Sparky." Suki and Ty Lee glanced at each other, rolling their eyes. Zuko let out a slow sigh and turned to them.

"Ty Lee, please show Toph to one of the carriage drivers." Toph grinned as she sauntered after the acrobat, who had began walking on her hands.

"I forgot how stubborn she can be," Zuko muttered. He looked to the sky, trying to spot the small dot that was Appa.

"Did you really believe you'd win that argument?" Suki asked, stepping up beside him.

"Of course not," Zuko said, chuckling lightly. "Although, I didn't expect she'd threaten to destroy my city...at least not straight away." A few silent moments passed between the two of them as they watched Toph be escorted through the gates of the Royal Palace grounds. Ty Lee was lying on the roof of the carriage, her head dangling off the side so she could see in the window.

"I had been meaning to ask you something..." Suki mumbled. She looked around and took a few steps away from a guard near them.

"Is everything okay?" Zuko said quietly, following her. He frowned as she bit her lip and glanced around again.

"Have any of the other guards been asking or talking about...us?" She stared down into the rocky ground.

"Us?" he repeated, raising his eyebrow.

"I guess that's a no then." The Kyoshi leader sighed before looking into his eyes again. "Do you remember how I had to run to my room to talk with Sokka a few nights ago about us going into the Lower City?" He gave a short nod. "Well, ever since then, the guards, mainly the other Kyoshi Warriors, have tried to get me to tell them what happened between us."

"What did you tell them?" he asked, his face beginning to turn slightly red.

"What do you think I told them?!" she hissed. "They won't take 'nothing happened' for an answer." Suki huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from Zuko. The Fire Lord stroked the light stubble along his chin.

"If they won't accept the truth, then you could simply ignore them. If they want to make up their own version of things, let them. It doesn't change anything."

"That's easy for you to say," she snapped, glaring at him. "You're not dealing with Ty Lee and the other girls constantly barraging you with questions. Ty Lee is—"

"Suki," Zuko began, and Suki found herself standing up just a bit straighter. "You are the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and chief of my royal guard. I would have expected you'd able to deal with this yourself." She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when he raised his hand. "Next time one of them brings it up, make it clear nothing happened, and if they continue to press, threaten them with some punishment for being unprofessional."

"You're right. I'm sorry for bothering you about this," Suki mumbled, bowing her head. He placed his hands on her shoulders before she turned away from him.

"I needed you to stop and think for a second," he told her, his voice softer. "You've been working yourself hard for the past few months. I've told you this already, but you seem very stressed, and I can't imagine the girls annoying you has helped. I want you to take the next couple days off. Relax and clear you head, and by the time you come back, I'm sure the girls will have moved onto some other drama." He let his hands drop from her shoulders, stepped back, and smiled at her.

"You're right, again." She gave a small laugh and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "I guess what happened in Gaoling and a few nights ago has just been on my mind. It's a bit unfair. Sokka and Toph can be such good friends, but when we do the same, suddenly everyone thinks we're up to something."

"Well, to be fair, we did kiss in Gaoling, so they have a reason to be suspicious. What do you mean about Sokka and Toph?" Zuko grinned as Suki raised her eyebrow and smirked at him.

"Us kissing isn't exactly how I remembered it. It was more you kissing me while you were drunk." She rolled her eyes when Zuko gave a small shrug. "You saw Sokka give Toph a hug right before he left, right?"

"Yeah. They've pretty much always been that way—at least, ever since I joined all of you back in the war."

"Yet no one assumes they're dating!" Suki said, and looked over her shoulder, lowering her voice. "I'm your bodyguard, and meant to be with you most of the time, yet people still assume something is going on between us."

"As I said, the best course of action might be to simply forget about what happened these past couple weeks. If we show we don't care, then I doubt the girls or anyone else will care either. Well, everyone except Ty Lee." Zuko smiled as Suki let out a small chuckle."I should get back to the Palace. Apparently, Atsushi wasn't happy he had to be the Avatar's—as he put it—babysitter." He gave her a small bow and then walked towards the entrance of the Royal Palace. Suki followed after him until he stopped and turned around, grinning. "I told you to take the next couple of days off."

"Well, I still have to assign a new chief for—"

"I'll let all of them know that you'll be gone for a few days. I'd imagine you have a second-in-command, anyway. Enjoy you time off."

"But—"

"That's an order, Suki," Zuko said, the edges of his mouth betraying his frown. Suki sighed, a slight grin on her face. She placed her left hand, curled in a fist, underneath her right, and bowed deeply.

"Of course, Fire Lord Zuko." She turned and headed for the Kyoshi Warriors' barracks. She couldn't help but smile as she looked back, seeing Zuko disappear into the Royal Palace.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two Weeks Later_

The noren flew apart as Zuko stormed out of the meeting room. Suki and Ty Lee hurried after him, hushed discussions from inside the room followed them out.

"Zuko, wait up!" Ty Lee called, and he slowed to walk.

"Can you believe this?!" Zuko snapped. "It has been nearly half a year since the Kemurikage Incident and they still haven't a clue where Azula could be." Zuko clenched his fists as they made their way down the hallway.

"They said that there has been sightings of her all over the Fire Nation, but none of our investigations can find any trace of her," Suki told him. "I understand your frustration, Zuko, but this is not the way a Fire Lord should act." Zuko paused, and the two Kyoshi Warriors nearly crashed into him. He took a few deep breaths as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know that, but those politicians act like everything is fine; they underestimate Azula and don't realise how dangerous she is."

"I can talk to them later. Maybe I'll have some of my girls join the search and we'll be able to find something," Suki said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She has to show up eventually."

"I'm worried about when she does," Zuko mumbled and he continued walking. "What's the latest news on the New Ozai Society?"

"Even though we took down the main group in the Royal Caldera, our spies have found more chapters springing up in other cities and towns. They're being even more secretive than before after the mass arrests, so it has been difficult to get information about them."

"Although, from what we've heard, it seems they want nothing to do with Azula after she used Ukano," Ty Lee added as they reached the Fire Lord's personal office. "They've thrown their full weight back behind Ozai."

"Then they're fools," he spat as he slumped into his seat. "I wonder, if I was to drag Ozai in front of them by the shackles so they could get a good look at what the great Phoenix King has become, would they realise how worthless their movement is?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, for obvious reasons," Suki told him, folding her arms.

"Why don't you just send in some people, like the Kyoshi Warriors, to arrest and be done with it?" Ty Lee suggested, sitting on the side of his table. "They are a terrorist group after all."

"Making arrests on the groups we know of would simply drive those we don't further underground. They would also become more dangerous as they might be more willing to cause destruction and riots," Zuko explained, taking out a brush and ink.

"The members are also anonymous, so we have no idea of their standing." Suki said, leaning against the wall while keeping the entrance in view. "Mass arrests could turn public opinion against us, and it's already quite low as it is."

"A king is only as powerful as his people allow him to be," Zuko muttered, drawing a curious look from his two bodyguards. "It's something Iroh told me. Although, he was talking about tea when he explained that, so I'm not entirely sure if he was talking about kingship... or simply making tea." The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "We'll discuss more of this later. I have a lot of work to get through." He began making his way through a large mound of papers on his desk, while the Kyoshi Warriors stood guard in his office.

After some time had passed, Suki noticed Ty Lee trying to catch her eye. She cocked an eyebrow at the acrobat, who rubbed her stomach and then circled her fingers around each other. Suki shrugged her shoulders and frowned at her.

 _Shift change. I'm hungry. Let's go!_ Ty Lee mouthed. Suki gave a small nod and looked at the Fire Lord; his head rested on the palm of his free hand. Except for the noise of his brush, he hadn't made a sound since he had started on the seemingly endless amount of documents. He glanced up as his bodyguards left, but quickly looked back down at his work.

"Zuko..." Suki said softly. He gave a confused smile as he saw her head poking in from the side of his door. "We're changing shifts, but Ty Lee, some of the girls, and I are heading into the city for something to eat. Do you want to come along?" Zuko began to rise, but instead gave a small shake of his head.

"I'd love to, but I have to get through this. Maybe another day," he told her, sighing as he picked his brush back up. Something was caught in her throat as she watched him for a few seconds before she turned and hurried to catch up with Ty Lee.

_A Week Later_

Suki nodded to the Imperial Firebenders standing guard as she walked into the Royal Palace and headed for the Throne Room. However, the Fire Lord was no where to be found. She turned down a corridor and made her way to his office, but again, he wasn't there. She walked back to the main hall, ignoring the small build up of panic at the back of her mind.

"Hey," she called, walking over to one of the Royal Procession guards. He turned his head towards her and she slowed her pace; the complete darkness of the slits in the mask still unnerved her. She saw half of the left spike on his helm was broken off and grinned at him. "Tamotsu, have you seen Zuko anywhere?"

"Did you break some of our helmets to be able to tell us apart from the others?" he said, his helmet slightly cocking to the side.

"Of course not. That's just a bonus of wiping the floor with all of you in sparring," she said with a shrug.

"We'll have to test that again sometime." Tamotsu looked around the hall. "Zuko said something about going to meditate."

"Meditate?" She looked down a corridor to her right and narrowed her eyes. "I think I have an idea where he might be. Thanks!"

"I don't think disturbing him is a good idea. He seemed really agitated. You should probably wait until he's done," he told her as she started to walk away.

"It'll be fine. I have something that'll cheer him up," Suki said, turning around and giving him a small wave before hurrying down the hallway. Tamostu looked over to his partner, standing on the opposite side of the hall, and gave him a shrug.

Suki lightly knocked on the wooden door of the Fire Lord's chamber. She waited a few moments before she quietly opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Zuko, are you in here?" She slowly slid the door fully open and stepped into the room. She looked around and saw his Fire Lord clothing laid out on his bed. Suki's eyes widened when she saw his headpiece on his bedside table. She picked it up and ran her hand along the symbol, then glanced at herself in a mirror and froze.

 _Don't you dare!_ a voice in the back of her mind told her. _Zuko would be furious if he caught you._ She looked around the room before holding the headpiece above her. She bunched up her hair and imagined it tied in a top knot.

"Fire Lady Suki," she mumbled to herself, smiling. "Or is it still Fire Lord?" She put the headpiece down and let her hair go. "It's a bit too big anyway." Suki went to turn when something else on the table caught her eye. "That's one of Mai's knives," she gasped. The Kyoshi Warrior reached for it, but stopped herself.

 _You've snooped around Zuko's things enough!_ the voice shouted at her. She nodded slowly to herself as she straightened and stepped away from the small table.

"I guess he must still have feelings for her," she muttered, crossing her arms.

 _Why would you assume he didn't?_ Suki didn't have an answer, but glanced back to the headpiece. She realised just how hot the room was as she looked around again. She took a step towards a door and stopped short of opening it. She could feel heat radiating off of it. There was an ebb and flow to the intensity of the heat, and Suki leaned towards the door and listened. She could hear Zuko's heavy breathing; each breath in slightly cooled the air, while each breath out made it hotter. She stood there for a few minutes, her breathing following Zuko's rhythm. She snapped out of it and opened the door.

"Agni, protect me," Suki muttered under her breath when the blast of heat hit her. Her warrior paint quickly became wet. Suki, however, didn't notice. She watched, amazed, as the flames of the candles around the room shrunk and shot up, burning a fabulous yellow, in time with Zuko's breathing. The Kyoshi Warrior had learned how firebenders control their element through their breathing, but had never witnessed this. "Zuko?" she said, her mouth dry. Almost immediately, the room began to cool and the candles returned to normal when Zuko opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder.

"Suki? Is something wrong?" Zuko asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Everything's fine. I just needed to talk to you," she told him and he relaxed. "Since when do you meditate?"

"I used to do this a lot when I was hunting the Avatar. I thought it might be good to get back into it. This was a more...intense session than usual." Zuko stood and straightened up, letting the robe draped across his shoulders fall to the floor. He cracked his neck and stretched his back. "I forgot how stiff this could make you."

Suki fixed her gaze on his muscular back as he stretched. She was glad the paint hid her blush."Is there a reason for this or are you just trying to be more spiritual like Aang?" she said, trying her best to keep focused on his eyes as he turned around. He grabbed a small cloth and wiped down his face.

"Uncle once taught me a virtue of a great leader is the ability to keep a level head," he explained, picking up another cloth and walking over to Suki and handing it to her.

"Thanks." She pressed the cloth against her face for a few moments and grimaced when she saw the amount of paint on it. _I'll reapply it later._

She looked back up at Zuko as he let out a long sigh. "I don't think I've been living up to that advice. Ever since those reports about Azula and the New Ozai Society have started coming in, I've had problems keeping up with things. My mind has been all over the place and..." He pinched the bridge of his nose and stared at the floor. "I've been having trouble sleeping again." He felt a hand on his bare shoulder.

"So, what you're saying is you're stressed out?" Suki said, grinning at him. Zuko dropped his head and laughed lightly.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"This might help." She reached into her kimono, pulled out a rolled up piece of paper, and handed it to him. He raised his eyebrow at her and unrolled it.

"Is this my schedule for the next couple of weeks?"

"Yep." She couldn't hide her grin as he read through it, his face becoming more confused by the second.

"Umm... Suki, it says everything after next week is to be rescheduled until a later date." He looked back at her and frowned. She simply tilted back and forth on her heels and gave a playful shrug, her grin growing wider. He narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you do?"

"From what I heard, someone planned a trip to Ba Sing Se for you. You'll be gone for a few weeks," Suki told him. She rolled her eyes when he stared at her blankly. "I told you I'd set up something up for you to go have fun with your old Earth Kingdom girlfriend." Zuko's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as his mouth twitched upwards. She rolled her eyes again and turned towards the door. She smirked at him over her shoulder before she left. "You're welcome." Zuko stood there, dumbfounded, until he snapped out of it and rushed after her.

"Suki!" She stopped halfway out the door, staring at him oddly. "What about Sokka?"

"What about him?" she asked, stepping back into the room.

"Isn't he meant to be visiting here in two weeks?" He handed her the schedule and pointed out the small note about Sokka.

"For Agni's sake." Suki groaned, burying her head in her hands. "I completely forgot about him."

"Don't worry, we can just cancel—"

"I'd look like a fool if I went back to your advisors and told them the trip was off. I spent ages getting them to agree to it." Zuko opened his mouth, but Suki raised her hand. "It's fine. I'll send a letter to Sokka and let him know that he'll have to wait a bit longer."

"Are you sure, Suki?" She sighed and gave a short nod. Zuko's mouth became a tight line, but he simply shrugged. Suki turned and stepped out of the room.

"Wait," Zuko said, following her into the corridor. "I never said thanks. So...thank you." The Kyoshi Warrior's head dropped, and she let out a small chuckle. She opened her mouth to respond, but froze when another voice spoke.

"Suki, what happened to your make..." Maiko let her sentence trail off. Maiko glanced at her companion; she could see the mischief in Ami's eyes. The pair struggled to hold in their giggles as they stared at the half naked, sweat-covered Fire Lord and his personal bodyguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Noren are traditional Japanese fabric dividers hung between rooms and in doorways.
> 
> Much longer than the first chapter! Isn't Suki just a lovely person, going out of her way when she notices Zuko is stressed. Unfortunately for her it seems the girls will have some more to talk about. Chapter 3 is pretty much written up, and will be posted next week.
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or its character, they were created by Bryan Konietzko and Mike Dante Dimartino, and belong to Viacom.


	3. Chapter 3

Ty Lee leaned over her leader's shoulder and saw the blank piece of paper that was causing Suki so much trouble. She sat cross-legged next to her, but the glowering captain continued to stare at the paper, swirling the brush around its inkwell.

"Are you okay?" Ty Lee asked, giving her a poke. Suki jumped at the touch and raised her arm defensively. She dropped it quickly and, hearing the hushed laughter, didn't bother looking around the barracks.

"Sorry. I didn't realise you were there," she muttered, giving a small smile.

"It's fine," the acrobat said, shrugging as she leaned in and lowered her voice. "Are you okay? Your aura seems really suppressed."

"Yeah. I'm okay, just a small bit stressed is all." She gestured at the blank paper.

"Need some help?" Ty Lee asked, shifting a bit closer. "What's the problem?"

"It's a letter for Sokka." The acrobat began to grin. "I completely forgot he was visiting, and with the trip to Ba Sing Se coming up, I have to let him know it's cancelled."

"So just write and tell him what's happening. What's the big deal?"

Suki bit her lip as she looked around. "It's... Just please help me with this, and I'll tell you later. Too many of the girls are here right now." Ty Lee nodded and held out her hand. The Kyoshi leader stared at it, confused.

"You said you wanted help. Give me the brush." The blue-eyed girl did as she was told. Ty Lee nodded in thanks and leaned over to the paper. "I'd say your problem is that you need something to start you off," she said, the brush finally being placed on the page. She sat back and smirked at her friend. "There. That should get you started."

"'Dear Sokka'...That's all you wrote?" Suki gave Ty Lee a disappointed look before rolling her eyes. "You're useless."

"I still did more than you," the grey-eyed girl shot back. She pursed and tapped her lips. "You probably want to make it clear straight away that you're upset because you had to send the letter."

"How's this?"

"'It pains me to say,'" she read aloud, failing to hold in her giggle.

"That bad?" she mumbled, reaching for a new fresh page.

"It's fine. At least you have some words down now. The start is always the hardest part." Suki gave her friend a thankful smile and began writing. "So, what's this I heard about you being alone with a certain naked Fire Lord?" The brush strained as the Kyoshi leader's knuckles turned white and her face red.

"Nothing happened between us. He was in the middle of meditating and I had to talk to him." Ty Lee opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when two other Kyoshi Warriors sat across from them.

"We caught you red handed," Ami said, smirking at her. She slipped off her headband, leaving her black hair down.

"Oh, thank you, Suki!" Maiko said, mimicking Zuko. Suki stared at the paper and tried her best to ignore them.

"I was talking to Tamotsu this morning actually," Ami told them. "He mentioned that yesterday, you said something about cheering up Zuko. I wonder what you and him got—" Suki glared at her, and the Kyoshi Warrior immediately stopped talking, her leader's eyes practically burrowing a hole in her forehead.

"Don't get so annoyed," Ty Lee said, nudging her playfully. "It's only a bit of teasing. They're probably jealous anyway." She gave her a weak smile.

"I get that. It's just..." Suki let out a sigh as the other girls leaned in closer. "You all know I'm with Sokka. We've been together for nearly three years." She ran a hand through her hair. "Even if it is just teasing, this could easily go beyond a simple joke. I don't want Sokka to visit here and start hearing all these rumours about Zuko and I secretly being together. If he did..." Her voice began to choke up, and she turned back to the page. "It doesn't matter." She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and stared into the wide, apologetic grey eyes of Ty Lee.

"Sorry. I didn't... You're really upset over this, aren't you?" Suki never responded, as two Imperial Firebenders stepped into the Kyoshi Warrior's barracks and faced each other.

Suki immediately stood and stepped into the middle of the barracks, She stood with her hands behind her back when the Fire Lord followed them in. The other Kyoshi Warriors lined up on both sides of her, copying her stance. Zuko raised his hand and they all adopted more relaxed stances. "Is everything okay, Fire Lord?"

"No need to be alarmed. I'm here just to make an announcement," he said, beaming at them.

"He's going to propose to Suki," came a whisper to the Kyoshi leader's left. She rolled her eyes but kept her gaze forward. Zuko carried on, either not hearing or unfazed by the comment.

"As I hope you're all aware, we'll be travelling to Ba Sing Se in a couple of days. There was a second part of this trip that was denied, even though Suki spent a long time trying to persuade my advisors to allow it." Suki frowned and raised an eyebrow at him. "However, I spoke with them, so after the visit to Ba Sing Se, we will be stopping at Kyoshi Island for a few days." The Kyoshi Warriors, except for Suki and Ty Lee, gasped before erupting. Ty Lee was quickly pulled into the celebrations.

Suki stared at Zuko, who gave a quick wink. She was grabbed from behind and dragged into the crowd of thrilled warriors. She laughed as she turned around, throwing her arms around the first person she saw, but their excited ramblings quietened when Zuko cleared his throat.

"Suki was the person who recommended this first, so make sure you say thanks to her," he told them, grinning at her. The captain was quickly enveloped in a group hug. "If you can get out of that, I'd like to talk to you." There was a low, teasing murmur as Suki slipped out of the hug. She rolled her eyes and followed him.

"Excited?" he asked when they were in private.

"Very," she grinned. "How come––"

"I gave you the credit even though you never suggested it?" Zuko smirked at her. She rolled her eyes and nodded. He scratched the back of his head and blushed lightly. "You told me you wanted to head back during the festival. I thought it might be a nice surprise for all of you. It's sort of my thanks for setting this all up."

"That's really sweet. Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. He kept his arms by his side.

Zuko waited for Suki to break the hug and stepped back a step. "No bother. So, are they still going after you over what happened yesterday?" Her face fell.

"Yeah. All of those comments were pretty much gone when I got back, just like you said, but obviously those two seeing us like that didn't help."

"Well, you should know how to deal with it," he said, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Let the others know about the trip home; I've got to go."

"No problem, Zuko. Thanks again." She gave him another quick hug and headed back into the barracks. "You two can go." The Imperial Firebenders nodded and left. Suki walked back to the table, the three girls grinning at her.

"You're aura is practically glowing now," Ty Lee told her as she sat down.

"Being friends with the Fire Lord certainly has its advantages," Ami noted. Suki ignored her and checked if the ink had dried.

"See. I told you they're just jealous," Ty Lee said. She raised an eyebrow when Suki folded and slid the letter into her pocket.

"Can you blame us?" Maiko said. Suki swirled the brush around the inkwell, an innocent smile on her face as her eyes shifted between the two girls opposite her. "Zuko's quite the catch: lovely, handsome, royalty––"

"And that body's the hottest thing that's ever come out of the Fire Nation," Ami added. She winked at Suki, and the brush hit her square between the eyes. She blinked a few times, ink flowing down the bridge of her nose. "What was that for?"

"Don't clean the ink off," Suki told her, picking up her brush and putting the letter back on the table. The entire barracks stared at her.

"What do you mean don't clean it off?" Ami shouted, standing up and rushing towards the bathroom.

"That's an order." Ami stopped dead in her tracks and glared at Suki. She pushed her hair back, feeling a couple of strands stick to the spot on her forehead. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors stood and looked around the room. "You all know what this is about. However, I'm feeling nice today; Maiko and Ami will be buying all of us lunch." There were a few laughs between the girls while Ami quietly seethed. Suki looked at Maiko, twirling the weapon around her fingers. "Any problem with that?" Maiko shook her head. "Perfect." She helped up a laughing Ty Lee.

"My sides hurt," the acrobat giggled.

"Let's get you something to eat then." Suki turned around and smirked at the other Kyoshi Warriors. Maiko and Ami stood at the back, staring daggers at their captain. "So, who's hungry?"

_An Hour Later_

Suki and Ty Lee strolled slowly along the street, trailing behind the large group of Kyoshi Warriors. Ty Lee hummed to herself, slightly more bouncy on her feet than her friend. The two got a couple of nods and waves from people as they walked by.

"You did great today," Ty Lee said, smiling up at the sky.

Suki gave her an odd look. "You're not talking to yourself again, are you?"

"That was one time," she said. She placed her hand on Suki's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Seriously though. If you had said to me how much making jokes about you and Zuko annoyed you, I would have stopped straight away."

"I know you would have." The Kyoshi leader laughed, pulling her friend into a sideways hug. "I don't mind the odd joke. I understand that there's been a few...interesting moments between Zuko and I, but it started to become more than just joking. I had to put my foot down eventually."

"If you putting your foot down involves getting free food, do it more often." Ty Lee slipped out of the hug and stepped ahead before turning around and walking backwards. "So, when were you going to tell me that you're helping Zuko find a girlfriend?" Suki froze mid-step.

"What are you––"

"I know about Jin." She grinned as she effortlessly leaned backwards into a handstand. Suki rolled her eyes when Ty Lee continued to walk backwards, and followed after the acrobat.

"How––"

"You never told us what we're doing in Ba Sing Se, so I asked Zuko." She let herself fall back and stood normally again. "He's such a bad liar. It's sweet, though."

"How much did Zuko tell you about Jin?"

"He only mentioned her, didn't tell me anything else. I already knew her name, though; Mai wasn't too happy with her on the way home from Ba Sing Se during the war."

"Mai? How does she know her?"

"Apparently, Jin showed up when her and Zuko were on some date together. She didn't go into details, but I picked up enough."

Suki stayed quiet for a while. "Don't let the other girls know anything." She glanced at the group of Kyoshi Warriors ahead of them. "I doubt any amount of punishment would make them shut up if they heard."

"Well, you'd have to explain what happened if some random Earth Kingdom girl came back with Zuko if everything worked out between them."

"I suppose I would..." she muttered.

"You haven't thought this fully through, have you?" Ty Lee asked, grinning and raising her eyebrow at her.

"Clearly not." She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I'll talk with Zuko about it later. It'll be okay. We'll figure something out."

"That's if they'd allow the Fire Lord to be with someone from another nation." Suki faltered for a moment and stopped walking.

"What...what do you mean?"

"The Fire Lord is meant to be the epitome of the Fire Nation. The Royal Family usually would only take on spouses from powerful families in the Royal Caldera. It's rare for them to marry someone from the lower city and beyond. Ozai and Ursa were an exception." Ty Lee glanced back at Suki, watching her eyes. "I've never heard of a Fire Lord marrying an outsi—a foreigner." Her eyes widened when her captain's shoulders dropped.

"Oh...I never knew that." Suki stared at the ground until she felt a hand take hers.

"A lot has changed though," the acrobat told her, squeezing her friend's hand. "The nations are much closer after the war, and I'd imagine Zuko's a lot different from most Fire Lords, too. It's possible an Earth Kingdom girl could be with Zuko."

_Fire Lady Suki,_ echoed in the back of her mind. _Stop it! She's talking about Jin, not you,_ Suki told herself as her face began to heat up.

"You're probably right," Suki mumbled, keeping her head lowered. "Zuko would probably just make some royal decree, anyway."

"Exactly. No need to worry about it right now." Ty Lee began to drag her captain by the hand. "Come on, let's catch up with the girls. I think Ami has had that ink on her long enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update, Woo! I wonder if Ty Lee is right about the Fire Lord being of pure Fire Nation stock? Anyway, Zuko, Suki, Ty Lee and everyone else will begin the short journey to Ba Sing Se in the next chapter, so look forward to that.
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or its character, they were created by Bryan Konietzko and Mike Dante Dimartino, and belong to Viacom.


	4. Chapter 4

Suki strolled around the Royal Plaza along the airship-designated area of the docks, watching the workers load supplies onto the airship. The industrial power of the Fire Nation had always impressed her, but now she had seen first hand just how capable it was. Despite losing its entire fleet of airships, the Fire Nation easily pumped out more, as if nothing had happened. Zuko shot down any attempts of constructing another Empire-class airship like his father's; instead opting for a slightly longer version of the normal airship, with a golden dragonhead instead of bronze. She narrowed her eyes when she neared the entrance of the airship and shook her head slowly, looking at the railing of the airship where a Kyoshi Warrior was sleeping. She had a peaceful look on her face, her hands behind her head. Suki lifted her foot and placed it against the dreaming girl's side.

"Wake up." The Kyoshi Warrior found herself falling. She stuck out both arms and legs and managed to soften the fall, her nose a couple of inches from the floor. She brought her feet close together and kicked up into a handstand. She let the momentum carry her before completing the front walkover effortlessly.

"Rude, but nice try," Ty Lee said, giving her eyes a rub.

Suki crossed her arms. "You're not meant to be sleeping while on guard duty." The acrobat dropped her head and scratched the back of her neck.

"Sorry." The Kyoshi leader rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today. At least try to stay awake for now; you can sleep for a week once we've set off." Suki looked at the huge airship and the long line of workers making their way into it.

"A week of sleep sounds lovely," the tired girl mumbled, glancing back at the small, makeshift bed she had made herself. "I can't wait to be back in Kyoshi Island. I missed the beach."

"I know all the best spots. I'll find us an area where we can just relax." She looked passed Ty Lee to the bright ocean beyond. "It'll be nice to have a proper break, and we'll get to see everyone. I'm excited to see how the new Kyoshi Warriors are coming along."

Ty Lee began to gently tap Suki at different pressure points."When are you going to let me teach them how to chi-block?"

"In a few years. A lot of them are still kids, so they'd just start chi-blocking each other all the time. I'd rather not deal with that." She took a step back while deflecting the acrobat's jabs. "I already have to deal with an annoying child." The chi-blocker flashed a smile when she slipped past her captain's defenses, catching her on the inside elbow, and the arm went dead at her side.

"I win." The Kyoshi leader rolled her eyes. Her arm tingled as feeling slowly began to return. The other girl simply grinned."I'll give them a lesson on the basics when we get there. Nothing dangerous."

"Fine, but I'm blaming you when half of the trainees are paralysed." Her friend gave a small shrug, then her eyes focused on something behind Suki and rushed passed her. The Kyoshi leader looked around and saw Ursa and Kiyi strolling over to them.

Ty Lee knelt down and hugged the small girl. "Came to say bye to your favourite big sister?"

"Yeah," Kiyi said, nodding quickly. "Can I talk to Suki?"

"Ouch." Suki laughed, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "That must have stung." Ty Lee quickly got to her feet and pouted. After a few moments, she winked at the wide-eyed young girl staring up at her, bringing a smile to her face. Suki rolled her eyes and bent down, pulling Kiyi into a hug. "So, are you going to take over as Fire Lord for Zuko while we're gone?"

She pulled a face and looked at Ursa. "I was going to, Zuzu even agreed with me, but Mom said no." Suki chuckled while Ursa shook her head, hiding her smile.

"We'll be heading off soon," Suki said, turning her attention towards the Fire Lord's mother. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine," Ursa said. "I'm glad I caught you actually. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course. Ty Lee?" The acrobat gave a quick nod and took Kiyi by the hand, leading her away. "Are you sure you're okay, Ursa?"

"There's no need to worry. I just wanted to speak with you." Ursa reached into her kimono, pulling out something wrapped in a cloth. "I heard about the reason for this trip." Suki's eyes widened and she glared at Ty Lee, who was showing Kiyi how to fight with her war fans.

"I told her not to—"

"She didn't tell me. Zuko did." Ursa raised her eyebrow as her guardswoman buried her face in her hands.

"He really is a bad liar."

"Actually, I knew something was up with him the moment I asked about the trip just from the way he looked at me. Consider it mother's intuition."

The Kyoshi leader sighed and let her hands drop to her side. "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"Don't worry about it, I understand. Telling everyone that you set up a trip for Zuko to go on a date might not have been perceived well. I forgot to give Zuko something before he left." She unwrapped the cloth, revealing a golden headpiece with the element of fire engraved into the front. "Would you pass it on to him?"

Suki took the headpiece and examined it, running her finger along the carving. "It's beautiful. Where did you get this?"

"It was from Iroh when Ozai and I got married. He told me to think of it as a 'welcome to the family' gift," Ursa explained. She had a tight-lipped smile as she stared at it, then cast her eyes to the ground and shook her head. "I never wore it much before I was...had to leave." She looked up when Suki placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Sorry. I got a bit lost in my thoughts."

"It's fine. So just give this to Zuko then?" Suki said, wrapping the headpiece back in the cloth. Ursa gave a small nod.

"I thought it might be a nice gift for that Jin girl—obviously, if everything works out between them."

"I'll make sure..." Suki stopped in mid-bow, her brow furrowing. "If you don't mind me asking, do you not mind that the girl isn't Fire Nation?"

"Why would I?" Ursa said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Well...I heard that the Fire Lord hardly ever marries people outside of the Royal Caldera, let alone outside of the Fire Nation." The Fire Lord's mother let out a small laugh and looked the Earth Kingdom girl in the eye.

"I don't care about that. I'll support my son in whatever he thinks will make him happy, like any good mother would."

The Kyoshi leader stared at the floor and bowed. "Of course. I'll make sure he gets it." Her eyes widened slightly when Ursa pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Thank you." The older woman released her as the engines of the Fire Lord's airship came to life. "You and Ty Lee should get going."

"I'll let you know what happens," she told her, giving another small bow before turning and hurrying over to Ty Lee and Kiyi. "Time to go."

"Oh, okay. Bye," Kiyi said, quickly walking towards her mother.

"I'd like my fans back," Ty Lee called after her. The young girl slowly turned and walked back to the two Kyoshi Warriors, a sheepish smile on her face. She held out the weapons to the acrobat, who grinned as she took them. "Nice try."

"I'll see you soon." Suki bent down and pulled the girl into another hug. Kiyi squeezed as tight as she could before running back to Ursa.

"She's so adorable," Ty Lee said, making their way up the ramp and into the large airship.

"She'd make a good Kyoshi Warrior," Suki noted. "She's always asking about how to fight."

The grey-eyed girl raised an eyebrow. "You think Zuko would allow you to train her?"

"I doubt she'd allow him to say no." The Kyoshi leader stopped and looked down a corridor. "I should go let Zuko know we're about to head off. Go check with the rest of the girls." Ty Lee nodded and continued on. Suki made her way towards Zuko's room and gently knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she slid the door open and peered in. The Fire Lord was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with an uncertain frown on his face. "Zuko?" The Fire Lord raised his head from his pillow.

"Suki?" Zuko sat up and pulled his legs in, sitting cross-legged. "Is everything okay?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." She stepped through the doorway. "Nothing's wrong. I was just letting you know that we'll be taking––" She steadied herself as the airship began to rise into the air. "-off soon," she finished, grinning at him.

"Oh. Okay," he mumbled absently, lying back down and looking up at the ceiling once more. She frowned at him and walked over, sitting at the end of the bed.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just thinking." He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face, examining it between his fingers. "Do you think my hair is too long?" His bodyguard rolled her eyes and covered her mouth to hide her smile.

"Your hair is fine. Nervous about seeing Jin?" she asked him as she lied down on her side, her head resting in her hand. The Fire Lord looked down at her before moving his legs out of the way and adopting a similar position.

"It's been nearly three years since I last saw her. I never even told her my real name." He scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "Maybe this whole thing was a mistake; it's ridiculous to think there could be something between us after all this time."

"You're being depressing again," Suki stated, getting a small chuckle out of the sombre man. "Chances are she figured out you were a firebender from what happened at the fountain. She'd know who you are by now, anyway. She'd understand why you had to keep your identity a secret." Zuko was quiet for a few moments.

"And if she heard I had a hand in helping Azula take over Ba Sing Se?"

"Then she'll also know you helped the Avatar to defeat Ozai and end the war." She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly so against going to see her?" Suki sat up and shifted closer to him when he didn't respond, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried about what she'll think of you, but I've constantly told you that you need to stop living in the past."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You're right, like usual." He looked up at her, the slight smile she'd become used to on his face.

"She only ever met Lee, anyway," Suki said, standing up. "She never got to meet Zuko." He nodded slowly, wondering if there was much of a difference. Suki glanced to the headpiece, still wrapped in cloth that she had left on the bed. "Ursa wanted me to give you something, by the way." His eyes widened when she unwrapped the headpiece. "She said it was a gift for Jin when things worked out between you."

"When..." he mumbled, tracing the carving. He leaned over and placed it next to his own headpiece, smiling softly. "I'll have to thank her when I get back."

"You're lucky to have her. I'll be sending a letter before we return. You can write thanks to her in it if you like," she said, giving him a smile.

"Thanks. I know I am." He glanced back at the headpiece. "Even if nothing comes of it, it might have been nice to have someone other than Mai on my mind for a while."

The Kyoshi leader changed to a more neutral expression and crossed her arms. "Do you still have feelings for her?"

"Of course I do. We both do," Zuko muttered, thinking back to the moments between the two of them during the Kemurikage Incident. "As a Fire Lord, I should already be—" He was cut off by a knock on his door. Suki took a step away from his bed and straightened up. "I'll explain later. Come in." The door opened, and a servant carried two boxes into the room.

"Oh, Suki, you're here. Good. Would you explain this to the Fire Lord? It was your request, after all." The Kyoshi leader rolled her eyes, but nodded, and the servant quickly left.

"Explain what to me?" She grinned sheepishly at him, picking up one of the boxes and placing it on a nearby desk.

"Well, I didn't want you to come back to an even larger backlog of work, so I had them bring what work you had left with us."

The Fire Lord frowned and cocked an eyebrow. "So, I get to spend the next week sorting through paper, while you and the other Kyoshi Warriors get to relax."

"Not exactly." The blue-eyed girl took out the first stack of papers, dividing it in two, and handed one to her annoyed friend. "I'll help you get through them a bit. Shouldn't take more than three days or so." She plopped down next to Zuko.

"Are you allowed to sign things for me?"

"I'm pretty good at forgery." He stared at her for a few moments. "I'll make sure to check with you before I sign anything, of course." He didn't respond, shaking his head as he read the first page of his stack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're finally travelling to Ba Sing Se; Poor Zuko must be feeling pretty nervous about the whole thing, at least he had Suki with him. :)
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or its character, they were created by Bryan Konietzko and Mike Dante Dimartino, and belong to Viacom.


	5. Chapter 5

The Fire Lord flicked his hand as steam began to bellow, and the flame underneath the kettle went out. He carefully poured the tea in a cup while taking a satisfying breath in, then picked the cup up with his left hand and slowly flexed the other, trying to get some feeling back to it. He had just finished up the last bit of work. True to her word, Suki had helped him with the majority of it, although she still left him to deal with a third box all on his own. He looked around the large room at the Kyoshi Warriors; some of them were lazing about, enjoying the time off they had, while others had set up a small arena in one of the corners where they held wrestling and other combat tournaments. Ty Lee bowed in the middle of the arena, an innocent grin on her face. Her opponent lay motionless on the floor, and the others sitting around the ring were shaking their limbs, trying to get rid of the pins and needles.

Zuko laughed as he walked past them and stepped out of the room onto the platform at the front of the airship. The cold air whipped at him, threatening to blow him over the railing if he lost his footing. He took a deep breath in, then breathed into his free hand. The licks of the flame appeared out of the gaps in his hand. He never understood why tea helped make his firebreath technique more effective, but he was glad it did. He walked to the end of the platform, which was a couple meters shorter than the length of the airship, and his eyes widened when he saw how clear the skies were, and the faint view of the Outer Wall and the city of Ba Sing Se in the distance. It always amazed him just how immense the Earth Kingdom capital truly was; even being as high as he was, the city still stretched out far beyond what he could see.

The Fire Lord's body stiffened when he looked across the green countryside. The image of his father, standing in the same place as him, came to his mind. He could see the maniacal smile on The Phoenix King's face, burning the land to a crisp under his heightened fire power while Sozin's comet turned the sky a sickly orange. He almost didn't hear the footsteps on the grating behind him. He glanced back, and saw the Kyoshi leader with her own cup of tea in hand.

"Mind if I join you?" Suki asked, smiling warmly at him. He gave a small shrug and took a small step to his left. "Taking a break?" She stepped up, leaning on the rail while facing him.

"I'm finished, actually." He turned his head towards her. "Thanks, by the way. Without you, I probably wouldn't have got through all of it until we were heading home."

"No problem. I couldn't just dump it on you and leave." She grinned, looking away from him and to the wall of Ba Sing Se. "Well, I could have, but I'm not that mean." The Fire Lord let out a small chuckle and went back to sightseeing. They stayed that way for a while, sipping away at their tea. Zuko had a content smile, while Suki lightly bit her lip, not able to focus on the scenery. "Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"First, you're a terrible liar." He cocked his only eyebrow at the grinning Kyoshi warrior. "I was talking to Ty Lee. Apparently, she knew about Jin. Any thoughts on how that happened?"

His shoulders slumped as he sighed. "Sorry. She caught me by surprise and I hadn't expected anyone to ask."

"It's fine. Ty Lee can keep her mouth shut, when she wants to, anyway," she told him, giving him a light shove. "She told me that Mai had met Jin in Ba Sing Se before. I thought the last time you saw her would have been during your date."

"We saw each other a couple of other times after that, although I mostly stayed behind the counter when she came into the tea shop," he explained, scratching the back of his neck. "Jin did see Mai and I before we left for the Fire Nation though."

"Is it something I should know about?" she said, crossing her arms.

"I didn't think it would be important..." he mumbled.

"Zuko, if I'm going to help you find some girl, I could at least know what was the last thing that happened between the both of you." He stayed quiet for a while before letting out a sigh.

"Well, Mai and I were kind of out on our first date together, and we ran into–"

"First date?"

His eyes widened a bit, and he cursed under his breath. "Mai and I only started dating after Azula took over Ba Sing Se."

"You weren't together before you were banished?" she asked, a slight tilt to her head.

"No. We both had a crush on each other, although for a girl who didn't show much emotion, her's was much more obvious." He smiled as he turned towards her. Zuko leaned against the opposite railing, crossing his arms and keeping his gaze low. "We were probably one of the few good things that came out of Azula's schemes."

"What are you on about?" She kept trying to catch his eye, but that neutral look of reflection she'd seen so many times appeared on his face.

"I never planned on going back to the Fire Nation with Azula at first. I wanted to stick by Iroh, even after betraying him. Azula wouldn't have that, though. She wanted me to take the credit for taking down the Avatar, just in case he survived." Suki started to reach out to put a hand on his shoulder, but stopped herself when he grinned. "She set up this dinner to try and set Mai and I up. There was this terrible liuqin player and we caught my sister and Ty Lee snickering in the bushes beside us, although Azula was apparently telling Ty Lee to stop messing around." He chuckled, and the Kyoshi leader relaxed. "We decided to leave the two of them to play in the bushes and headed into town. We ended up in the Lower Ring; I wanted to show her the Firelight Fountain. Jin ended up spotting me and quickly came over. Suffice to say, neither were thrilled to meet the other."

"What did you do?" Suki asked accusingly.

"What makes you think I did something?" She gave him a look and he smiled sheepishly. "I may have mentioned that I was part of the circus on our date together, so I told Jin that Mai was a knife thrower from the circus."

She stared at him, unsure whether to laugh or call him stupid. In the end, she decided to do both. "You're an Idiot. I can't imagine Mai took that well?"

"No. I had that figured out when I was standing in front of the fountain, a fish on my head, while she took aim with an icicle." The Kyoshi Warrior covered her mouth, threatening to burst into giggles again. "She then encouraged Jin to take a shot." He felt his face begin to heat up from embarrassment. "I trust Mai not to kill me, but not Jin. I tried to dodge, and...ended up slipping backwards into the fountain."

"You poor thing," she laughed. "I'm guessing Mai was pretty happy with herself."

"Jin was a bit concerned, but Mai just told me that now we're even." Zuko slowly stopped his laughter as Suki's eyes narrowed. "Is everything okay?"

"What did she mean by that?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "'Now we're even'?" she said when he looked at her blankly. "You guys weren't even dating when you met Jin." He continued to stare at her, utterly confused. "She was angry at you for dating Jin when you weren't even a couple," Suki said slowly. "Doesn't that seem a bit...unfair?" 

_More like manipulative,_ she thought. _What's so wrong with him seeing someone other than her?_

"I..." He frowned, still trying to work out what the Kyoshi Warrior's point was.

"Did she ever do something similar when you two were actually dating?"

"Not really. She wasn't happy with girls at the beach looking at me. She never said anything, but I could tell from the way she talked and glared at them that she didn't like it." Suki finished off her tea, her eyebrows knitting as she sipped. "I doubt you'd be happy with people staring at Sokka."

"Of course I wouldn't, but I wouldn't try to get revenge if I found out he had a girlfriend before me—which he did, by the way. It just sounds like..." Her mouth formed a thin line when Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, looking at her feet. "It's not important."

 _Yes it is!_ her mind shouted at her, but she ignored it. The Fire Lord stared at her oddly for a few moments before giving a slow nod.

"Anyway...once I got out of the fountain, I chased after Mai, and that was the last time I saw Jin." He raised an eyebrow when she kept her gaze low. "After I caught up with Mai, we shared our first kiss." Suki's eyes snapped up to his, and she mentally kicked herself when she spotted that sly grin on his face. She raised the empty cup to her mouth, trying and failing to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

"So, what you're telling me is that your little sister set you up on your first date?" His features went a similar colour to hers. "That would've been sweet if it wasn't some ploy by Azula." He nodded in agreement, turning away to try to hide his flushed face. She laughed and gave him a light shove. "How come you never mentioned that before? It's nice."

"I guess it never really came up. It was easier leaving Mai..." The reflecting look was back, and she stood by him patiently. She wanted him to fully think through whatever he was about to say. After a few minutes, he looked back at the Kyoshi Warrior. "Just before my sister, Ty Lee, and Mai headed off, Mai asked if I was going to come with her. It was easier leaving Mai to think she was the reason I returned to the Fire Nation."

"Then why did you go back?"

"Iroh." The Fire Lord's shoulders slumped. "Azula had it all planned out. The moment I started to explain why I couldn't come back with Mai, Iroh was brought out in chains. She started going on about how she didn't know if he'd survive the trip home." His fist clenched into a tight ball, his knuckles turning white. "She taunted me, telling me it's my decision. She easily manipulated me; another loss in my life to her." He felt a hand slip into his, and he snapped his gaze to the concerned, blue-eyed girl staring up at him.

She gave his hand a squeeze. "Calm down. There's no point in getting angry over what happened. You weren't in the best frame of mind then, anyway. Azula just took advantage of that."

He let out a sigh and smiled weakly. "Sorry for doing this again." Suki waved away his apology.

"So, Mai always thought you went back with the Fire Nation because of her?"

"She thought it was romantic, and that's not something I'd heard from her much, so I never really corrected her. At least I finally told someone. Thanks."

"No problem. Anytime." The two stood in silence.

He glanced down at their entwined hands. "You can let go of my hand now." She immediately dropped it.

"Sorry," she said quickly, rubbing her hands together. "It's freezing out here." He raised an eyebrow, smirked, and reached out, keeping her hands together. She stood there, frozen, as the Fire Lord breathed in deeply. Her hands felt deliciously warm as he breathed fire close to their hands.

"Better?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, her face heating up quicker than her hands.

Zuko stepped back and glanced back at the airship. He could have sworn he saw a familiar ponytail in the window whip down out of sight. "We should probably head back inside." Suki gave a quick nod and started walking back along the platform. Zuko gave one last look at the city of Ba Sing Se before following after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot about this update today, was busy enjoying Christmas and may have lost track of time. I hope you all have been having a wonderful Christmas spent with whoever matters to you. Someday I'll get into doing seasonal one-shots or something similar. :)  
> The story told in this chapter is based on the short comic "Going Home Again" found in the Lost Adventures book. It's a very interesting comic, and I've outlined my possible interpretation of it in here. Hopefully those little moments between the two are enough to satisfy everyone for now, I know these stories are very slow-burn.
> 
> Also, to the guest who added a review on Christmas Day: Thank you, and check my profile for my response (Don't want to inflate word count). Better yet, please make an account, as I'd love to personally thank you. :)
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was beginning to dip behind the Inner Walls when the royal airship descended into the city, landing in a wide open area in the Upper Ring. Kyoshi Warriors filed out of the airship and formed a guard of honour. The Fire Lord stepped out last, the first two of his guardswomen walking with him.

"There's a lot of security for a welcoming committee," Zuko muttered, eyeing the soldiers watching his every move.

"It's almost insulting that they only sent four Dai Lee agents," Suki said, spotting the group of elite warriors standing in the shadows.

"I'm worth at least five of them," Ty Lee added, a grin on her face.

Zuko looked back over his shoulder and smirked. "Sure, you are." They stopped walking when a woman stepped out of a carriage, a plastic smile on her face. "Let me guess... Joo Dee?" The woman laughed politely, covering her mouth.

"I was once Joo Dee; I was one of the few who decided to stay." The woman bowed deeply. Zuko and his guards did the same. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se, Fire Lord Zuko. I am Jia. I will be your guide for the duration of your stay. This carriage will take you to where you will be staying for the duration of your trip. If you require assistance, speak to me."

"Thank you, Jia. I'm sure there will be no problems." She nodded and climbed up next to the driver. Zuko walked towards the carriage before turning around, raising an eyebrow at Suki. "The girls will be fine without you here, right?"

"Of course. They'll unpack and deliver everything. Do you want to speak with me?" He gave a short nod before turning back and sitting into the carriage. She sat next to him, getting some knowing glances from the other Kyoshi Warriors.

Zuko held the serious expression until he was out of the sight of his guards. "So, what's the plan?" he said, a light smile on his face. Before Suki could answer, a soft thud came from the roof of their carriage. Zuko felt something soft tap against his cheek and looked at the ponytail dangling to his side. He followed the hair to the pair of mischievous eyes peering down at him. "Ty Lee...get down from there."

"No."

Zuko and Suki glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. "I guess it saves me having to tell her," Suki said. "Tomorrow, Ty Lee and I are going to check out some restaurants in the Upper and Middle Ring. I have a couple of names down already; Sokka took me to some of them before."

Ty Lee leaned further over the edge so she could look at her captain. "Can we go shopping afterwards?"

She stared at the upside down girl before letting out a slow sigh. "Fine, but only if we find a place quickly. You want to visit Iroh before we go see Jin, right?"

"Of course. I haven't seen Uncle in a while; it'll be good to catch up with him. I'd like to tell him about Jin too."

"All right. Ty Lee, you and I will find a place while Zuko is at his meeting with the Earth King in the morning. We'll meet him—"

"Wait, you're going to see Earth King Kuei?" Ty Lee said, her eyes wide. He nodded slowly and her eyes lit up. She stuck out her hands and let herself slide off the roof of the carriage. She balanced, in a handstand, on the bottom of the window and easily slipped through it. "Can I go with Zuko to the Royal Palace?" she said, pushing the Fire Lord out of the way to sit next to Suki. "Please?"

The Kyoshi leader looked over the acrobat's shoulder at Zuko, who gave a bemused shrug. "Why, exactly, do you want to go to the Royal Palace?"

"Maybe she has a crush on the Earth King," Zuko suggested, a grin on his face.

"I do not!" Ty Lee exclaimed, glaring at him and crossing her arms. "I want to see Bosco again. I never got to teach him how to do a handstand." The two stared at her for a few moments before Zuko's started to chuckle while Suki simple rolled her eyes.

"Go ahead. I'll probably find a place faster by myself, anyway. You'd just be dragging me into the different shops so you could buy clothes."

"No, I would—" Ty Lee stopped herself and grinned. She shrugged in agreement and sat back with a smug smirk. Zuko glanced outside as the carriage slowed to a stop outside of a two-story house.

"Pretty nice place," he noted when he climbed out of the carriage. He turned and offered his hand to both of his bodyguards. Suki gave him a small smile as she stepped out.

"I hope it is to your liking, Fire Lord," Jia said from the front of the carriage. "We were going to offer a larger house, but when we learned your family wouldn't be coming, we thought this would suffice."

"It's perfect," he told her, bowing before turning and heading for the house. He glanced back at the Kyoshi Warriors. "I'll put on some tea." Suki went to follow after him, but Ty Lee grabbed her by the arm.

"Can't we talk for a second?"

"Sure. Is everything okay?"

Ty Lee stayed silent for a couple of moments before sighing. "You don't actually think we'll find this Jin girl, right? Or that something will happen between her and Zuko?" Ty Lee looked away from her friend when she frowned. "You seem a bit more invested in this thing than you should be."

Suki crossed her arms and took a step to the side, trying to look her in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"It's just..." She met the Kyoshi leader's gaze. "You're talking about booking some place before we've even spoken to the girl. I would have thought you'd be a bit more...realistic in your expectations."

"And I would have thought of all people, you'd be optimistic about this idea."

"Well, someone has to be level-headed about things!" Ty Lee exclaimed before clamping her mouth shut. A few moments of tense silence passed. "Sorry." She took a deep breath. "Let's calm down; our auras seem really strained at the moment."

Suki stared into those grey-eyes and then chuckled. "I'm sure they are." She wrapped her arm across her body and grabbed the other, lightly hugging herself, while looking off to the right. "I...I just want to help Zuko. He seemed really stressed, and I thought that having someone in his life might...I don't know, help with that."

"He has his family, though. We're all there, too, if he needs to talk," Ty Lee stated, and her friend's shoulders slumped. "Unless you meant help with stress in another—"

"Ty Lee!" Suki pinched the bridge of her nose and suppressed a giggle. "No...well, kind of, I guess." She pushed her playfully. "Stop laughing! You know what I mean." Suki struggled to hold in her own laugh when Zuko appeared at the doorway.

"Please, tell me we brought our own tea." The two girls stared at him, confused. "The tea here is terrible!"

Suki shared an eye roll with Ty Lee before giving a nod. "The rest of our stuff should be here soon." She walked towards the house and smirked at him as she walked passed. "You're turning into Iroh."

"No, I'm..." He trailed off, his mouth a straight line. "Maybe I should stop drinking tea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Time for the newest update! This is a fairly short chapter. This was originally going to be part of either last or next chapter, but I didn't feel it really worked on either side, an instead was better as it's own chapter. I hope some of you aren't too disappointed at the length, I understand that can be annoying sometimes.
> 
> Ty Lee does bring up a pretty interesting question. Why is Suki so focused on Zuko's love life? Something for you to ponder. Anyway, the next chapter will deal with the visit to Iroh and the Jasmine Palace. I'll see you then. :)
> 
> Once again, to the guest, check my profile for my response.
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

_The Royal Palace_

Zuko straightened his robe when he strode out of the meeting room. He could almost feel some of the men's glares as he left the room. He massaged his temples once he was out of sight. Earth King Kuei had been pleasantly diplomatic, as always, but it was the generals and veterans of the Hundred Year War that seemed to challenge him on every little thing. He was beginning to think they did it on principle, just to make more things difficult for the Fire Lord.

"For Agni's sake," he muttered under his breath when he walked into the throne room. Ty Lee was standing up, hands above her head. Bosco was on his hind legs, trying to copy her.

"Come on, it's really easy!" She fell forward, kicking up into a handstand, then grinned back at the bear, who tilted his head. There was a flumph as he hit the floor, and she laughed before gently lowering herself onto her back. She reached above her head to rub the bear's cheeks, then, hearing someone clear their throat, looked up at the amused Fire Lord. She brought her legs into her chest and kicked up off the floor.

"I see your lessons are going well," he said, giving the bear a rub on the head. Bosco made a quiet, engine-like rumbling noise as Zuko scratched him.

"He'll get it eventually. I promise, if I had a week or two with him, he'd be perfect," the acrobat said, jumping up into another handstand. Bosco stood and nuzzled her, licking her face. She giggled before losing her balance, but saved herself by landing in a crabwalk, and grinned up at Zuko.

"I'm sure he would." He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to follow him. Ty Lee quickly pushed herself up while he walked towards the exit of the palace.

She pulled Bosco into a hug and buried her face into his fur. "I'll be back soon, I promise." He began making the rumbling sound again before she let go and ran after Zuko. The Dai Lee agents standing guard stared at her as she ran passed them. "How'd the meeting go? Bunch of boring old guys talking about boring old stuff?"

"Pretty accurate," he said, squinting his eyes when he stepped out of the Royal Palace. "Although, Earth King Kuei had an interesting idea. He suggested that we should hold an annual tournament with different events. The best representatives of the three nations would compete against each other."

"Sounds like a good way to help bring the nations closer together." She lightly elbowed him in the side. "Think I can represent us?" He was quiet for a moment as he walked passed the guards of the palace gates.

"It was only a suggestion. It might be a bender-only event, anyway." He glanced back when she stopped, her shoulders slump. "We barely discussed it, though, so if something comes up, you'll be the first person I suggest." She grinned, and then focused on someone behind him. He turned, seeing Suki walking towards them with a wide smile on her face.

"I have a place booked for tonight, The Royal Jade. It's meant to be lovely!" she told them, then her face turned slightly sour. "I wanted to eat there, but Sokka and I never got the chance."

"I'll make sure to let you know if it's worth the price," Zuko said, grinning at her.

She rolled her eyes and started walking. They quickly followed after her, and Zuko took the lead.

Zuko tried his best to ignore the looks or the wide berth the people gave him as they walked through the streets. A group of young teens played a game of tag as they dodged and pushed passed the people in the street before one of them stopped and stared at the scarred man.

"Whoa! It's the Fire Lord!" one of the boys exclaimed, causing the others to hurry over to him. Ty Lee gave a little wave while Suki watched them with a grin.

"That scar is so cool looking."

"I heard he can bend lightning."

"He can redirect lightning, not bend it."

"No one can bend lightning you idiots. That's just something the Fire Nation made up to scare people."

"He's pretty cute for a Fire Nation guy."

"I thought he'd be taller."

Zuko rolled his eyes as the group continued to make comments,while his bodyguards giggled behind him.

"Looks like you have a couple of fans," Suki said. "Maybe you should start up a fanclub, like Aang with his Air Acolytes."

He looked over his shoulder and opened his mouth to say something when he frowned. "Where's Ty Lee?" They stood there for a few moments, their heads like swivels until Suki's stopped and let out a sigh.

"You have a great eye. This dress was imported from the Fire Nation," the middle-aged woman told the grinning Kyoshi Warrior, who gazed at the dress on display. "It would certainly turn a lot of heads."

Ty Lee ran her hand along the sleeve, feeling the material. "It's so pretty. I bet I'd look amaz–" The saleswoman's eyes widened when her customer was dragged away. "Hey! Watch the ponytail!"

"You can go shopping later," Suki told her as she dragged her back to Zuko and let go.

"I was just browsing," Ty Lee said, fixing her hair.

"And wasting time," Suki said. She looked up at the sky, shading her eyes. "It's almost midday. If we head to the Jasmine Dragon now, we should have more than enough time to find Jin." She gave Zuko a look. "Well done on not getting her second name; made our job that much harder."

"She was a refugee, like Uncle and I," he said, frowning as he looked out across the vast city. "She mentioned her family moved here, so I doubt she would have went too far."

Suki pulled out a large piece of paper. "You're lucky Jia was able to get me a list of names." His eyes widened when he saw the amount of names. "There's only one person with that name in that part of the Lower Ring you stayed in. There isn't any information on her, though, since last year—not even an address." A strong aroma of tea hit them and they each took in a deep breath.

"We'll deal with that later," Zuko said, and made a direct line for the Jasmine Palace. The Kyoshi Warriors hurried to catch up with him.

The famous brewmaster poured out two cups of tea and handed one to his companion before they raised them to each other. Iroh shifted out of the way of a waitress who carried a large tray of cups as she hurried to the tea house floor. The two friends chuckled as they watched the young woman move from table to table, handing out the tea while apologising profusely for the delay. The shop was filled of the sound of quiet laughter and chatter as people enjoyed their drinks.

The Fire Lord drew many curious glances as he walked up the steps, and the tea shop quietened to stare at the giddy man when he quickly burst into the Jasmine Dragon. Iroh looked away from his friend, a warm smile appearing on his face when he spotted his nephew. "Excuse me a moment." He hurried around the counter and met Zuko in a strong embrace. "I didn't even know you were coming to Ba Sing Se."

"I thought it would be a nice surprise." They broke the hug and Iroh turned to his two bodyguards.

"I trust my nephew hasn't been in too much trouble?" he said, receiving a hug from the both of them.

"He's pretty well-behaved. We've been keeping a close eye on him," Suki told him, grinning at Zuko, who rolled his eyes.

Iroh let out a deep laugh. "How is Ursa and the little one?"

"Kiyi is as feisty as ever. Zuko has been thinking of training her himself when she's a bit older," Suki said, glancing at him. "Although, she seems pretty interested in the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Ursa wasn't exactly thrilled to hear either of those ideas, though," Ty Lee added.

Iroh's companion stood, placing a silver coin on the counter, before walking over the group. "Grandmaster Iroh, I'm going to head off. I have some other deliveries to make." He gave the others a slight bow. "Make sure to let us all know what he says about your offer when you see him again."

"Of course, it was great to see you again, Fung," Iroh said, bowing deeply. "I'll have to find time to visit him soon. Thank you for bringing the tile."

Zuko frowned as he watched the man walk away. "He looks familiar."

"I would hope he would. He helped us in the Misty Palms Oasis." Iroh chuckled lightly when he saw Zuko's forehead crease. "Please, sit. I'll get some tea ready for us." The trio nodded and found an empty table for themselves. The Fire Lord was the centre of attention for a few minutes until the people returned to their original conversations.

"It's been a while since I've had some of Iroh's tea," Suki said, watching the old man eagerly as he worked his magic behind the counter.

"I'll have to ask for a couple of more lessons someday," Zuko said.

"Having made us tea, I'd say you'll need a lot more lessons," she said, smirking at him. She gave him a small wink and he rolled his eyes, but grinned back.

"You never made tea for me." Ty Lee pouted.

"Next time we're camping in the middle of a hostile nation, I'll make sure to serve you first."

Iroh picked up the small tray and walked over to the table, placing it down. "So, what do I owe this visit to?" Iroh asked, pouring them each a cup.

"Zuko's possible lady-friend," Ty Lee told him, and Zuko could feel his face begin to heat up.

"Oh, really?" Iroh raised an eyebrow at his nephew. "And who is this lady-friend of yours?"

"You remember Jin, right, Uncle?"

"The name does sound familiar," he said, gently tugging at his beard.

"You forced me to go on a date with her when we were refugees?"

Iroh gave a nod. "I remember. Quite the beautiful young girl." He gave a small grin. "You were sixteen; you should have been doing that, anyway. You told me yourself you enjoyed it." Zuko bowed his head, trying to hide the blush quickly spreading across his face.

"You never mentioned that you had fun when you told Mai about her," Ty Lee stated, and his eyes snapped to her. "You probably would have wound up with a dagger in your eye." Suki frowned slightly, but laughed along with everyone else.

"I spent so much time doing his hair that night; he looked handsome," Iroh sat back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "And yet he came back home, his hair a complete mess."

"Really?" Suki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your hair was a mess?" Ty Lee exclaimed. "You're going to tell me the full story, right?"

Zuko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uncle, please explain why they're both wrong and should stop thinking like that."

"I only speak the truth."

Suki chuckled and finished off her cup as Ty Lee bombarded Zuko with questions. She caught Iroh looking at her, and he held out his hand for her empty cup. She smiled and handed it over.

"I hope the tea was to your liking," he said, refilling the cup and handing it back.

"There's none better in all of Ba Sing Se." Iroh gave a small bow.

"How come you missed the Festival of the Rising Sun?" Ty Lee asked, giving Zuko a break.

"I had meant to visit, but the Earth King had wanted my help with something," the old man explained with a shrug.

Suki raised an eyebrow at him. "What did Kuei need?"

"He simply asked me if I had any ideas on how to strengthen the Outer Wall." A grin came to his face. "Being the only person to ever pierce the impenetrable city, the Earth King thought I could assist him."

"They're adding onto the wall...Are you allowed to tell me what you suggested?" Suki asked, leaning forward in her seat. The old general smirked, knowing that look in her eye well.

"I don't see why not. If construction begins, I'm sure the information will quickly spread to the other nations." Iroh took a sip of tea and sat back. "I told him that with airships becoming more common place, the wall would be useless against such machines. I suggested for him to project out from the wall equally spaced columns. Not only would this allow the soldiers to attack from the sides of the enemy, but there would also be space for catapults. which could fire higher than any of his earthbenders, to help deal with the airships." Suki nodded slowly, steepling her fingers.

"Why not just fly higher?" Ty Lee suggested. Iroh opened his mouth, but Suki was quicker.

"The higher you are, the less accurate you'll be. You wouldn't be able to take out specific things reliably."

"You would want to capture the city, not raise it to the ground. You have the mind of a general," Iroh noted, receiving a surprised look from Suki.

"Why are you wondering how to take Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked, giving her an odd look.

"Just in case we ever need it," she told him with a shrug. "I would have liked to know that the Earth Kingdom was boosting its defences."

"They're still apprehensive towards us after what happened with Yu Dao," Zuko stated, his eyes staring into the almost empty cup.

"I'm not surprised," Iroh mumbled. "Tensions will not fall easily. Although, with people like Suki by your side, I'm sure you'll be fine." The Fire Lord looked up from his cup and saw a glint in his uncle's eye. He glanced at her and she bowed her head to Iroh, a grin on her face.

"Thank you. I'll try my best to keep him in line."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Time for the newest update! This is a fairly short chapter. This was originally going to be part of either last or next chapter, but I didn't feel it really worked on either side, an instead was better as it's own chapter. I hope some of you aren't too disappointed at the length, I understand that can be annoying sometimes.
> 
> Ty Lee does bring up a pretty interesting question. Why is Suki so focused on Zuko's love life? Something for you to ponder. Anyway, the next chapter will deal with the visit to Iroh and the Jasmine Palace. I'll see you then. :)
> 
> Once again, to the guest, check my profile for my response.
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or its character, they were created by Bryan Konietzko and Mike Dante Dimartino, and belong to Viacom.


	8. Chapter 8

"The Earth Kingdom had sent an elite team, the Terra Team, I believe was their name, to try to infiltrate our camp and cause a bit of chaos under the cover of darkness," Iroh said as Suki and Zuko leaned forward in their seats while Ty Lee's was empty. "If they had managed to complete their task, the Earth Kingdom could have easily been attacked with a much larger force and driven us back."

"How did you stop them?" Suki asked, and he chuckled.

"Just like you deal with most things as a general: with a bit of luck." Iroh smiled sadly. "Lu Ten and I were returning from an engagement at another part of the wall when we spotted them sneaking into the main camp. We quickly caught them and fought them off."

Suki's eyebrows shot up. "You fought them off—just the two of you?"

"Well, we didn't exactly beat them," Iroh said, grinning sheepishly. "It was more like the rest of the camp began to wake, and they fled before they were captured." Iroh held his head a little higher. "Although, I'm certain we had the better of them. Lu Ten had already dealt with two of them before they could react. General Iroh and Lieutenant Lu Ten were quite the formidable pair. He impressed me greatly that night."

"I would have loved to have met him," Suki said, lightly patting the old man on the shoulder.

"Maybe in another life," Zuko said, and Iroh gave a nod.

"Anyway, another time when we were still trying to break into the Outer Wall..." They listened to war tales until Ty Lee lightly poked Suki in the side, pulling her attention away from Iroh.

"What took you so long?" Suki said while Iroh continued, turning towards his nephew.

"I had to deal with a couple of idiots," she told her, tilting her head towards the entrance. Suki rolled her eyes when she saw a leg poking through the door. "They'll be fine, probably."

"Don't paralyse anyone, please? So, is everything okay?"

Ty Lee nodded before stopping herself. "Actually, I have to hurry back to the airship. I promised Maiko I'd take her shift so she could go shopping with Ami." Suki frowned before she stood and walked out of the tea house and down the steps, Ty Lee following her. Using her hands as shade to look up at the sun, her eyes widened and she hurried back into the shop.

"We've spent way too long here!" she told Ty Lee as she ran past. She grabbed Zuko by the arm and pulled him up. "I'm sorry, Iroh, but we've got to go." Iroh waved away her apology and stood.

"Make sure you return before you head back to the Fire Nation," he said while giving each of them a small hug before bowing. "I want to know if I'll have to travel to the Fire Nation for a wedding anytime soon."

"Let's just see how today goes," Zuko said, bowing lower than Iroh, being copied by Suki and Ty Lee. "I'll talk to you soon, Uncle." Iroh nodded and walked back behind the counter to greet another group of customers. Zuko and Ty Lee followed the rushed Kyoshi Leader outside, being careful not to step on the groaning men still on the floor.

Suki turned to look at Ty Lee, eyebrows knitted together. "You never told me about this shift change."

"What's wrong? We always do it," she said, tilting her head.

"I thought you'd be coming with us." She crossed her arms when her friend gave a shrug.

"It'll probably be easier with just the two of us, anyway," Zuko said, getting a grin from Ty Lee.

Suki let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. "Fine. I'll tell you how it went when I get back."

"I'll have a good guess if Zuko comes back with some cute girl in his arms," Ty Lee said, winking at the Fire Lord. She skipped over to him and threw her arms around him. "Good luck. Don't be an idiot."

He glanced at Suki, rolling his eyes but hugging her back. "I'll try not to."

"That's all I can ask." She broke the hug and started walking away. She gave one last look back at Suki, a mischievous look on her face. The Kyoshi leader stared as Ty Lee continued on.

"If we don't get going now, it could be dark by the time we find her," he said, slowly walking backwards.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

They made their way quickly through the streets of the Upper Ring. "I'm surprised people aren't more shocked the Fire Lord is walking down the street," Suki noted, looking around at the townsfolk. They gave curious glances before going back about their business.

"Word travels fast amongst the elite," Zuko mumbled, leaning closer to Suki as he spoke. "Since seeing us a few hours ago, most have probably heard we're here." She gave a slow nod and looked around again. This time she took note of anyone who seemed to be focused on them, although no one took a particular interest. "Relax, there's guards everywhere."

She stared at him for a moment before laughing. "Since when did you become so observant?"

"You were fiddling with your fans. I knew something was wrong."

"I'm impressed," she told him, and he held himself a little higher. "Did you notice the two Dai Li agents trailing us?" He fought his urge to look back and shook his head. She winked at him and walked on. "That's why you have me. They've been following ever since we left the Jasmine Palace—at least, that's when I noticed them."

"Think they'll be trouble?" Zuko asked, casually looking around the street.

"They're probably making sure we don't get up to anything. We'll be fine." They quietened once they reached the inner most wall and came to the Middle Ring. The streets here were more crowded, but still the people gave the Fire Lord and his bodyguard more than enough room to walk through.

"How are you feeling?" Suki asked, watching him begin to fidget with his robe. He stayed quiet for a few moments.

"Nervous, I guess."

"You guess?" She grinned at him.

His eyes flicked to a couple, the woman carrying their child while the man carried what they bought. "I'm just wondering how's she's going to react."

"Like how Song nearly bit your head off and I had to rescue you?"

Zuko's head dropped as he chuckled. "Kind of. People never like being lied to, so who knows how she'll feel, especially after I just ran after Mai without even saying goodbye to her."

"You're a great guy, Zuko," she said, pushing him lightly on the shoulder. "I promise, she'll be happy to see you." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You never did anything to annoy her, unlike with Song. She'll understand why you had to hide your identity."

"I'm honestly more worried about making a fool of myself if we do go on that date. I didn't do too well the first time."

"That's what tends to happen when you lie and tell a girl you're a juggler," she said, getting an sheepish laugh from him. "If things are going badly, just find a reason to take off your robe."

He faltered in his step and gave her a confused look. "Find a reason to...take off my robe?"

"Don't tell me you're that oblivious?" He continued to stare at her. "Haven't you ever wondered why nearly all the girls just happen to train at the same time as you?" A look of shock came to his face, replaced quickly by a confident smirk. Suki rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I shouldn't have even told you that."

"So, that's why you have me spar with you so much," he said, and this time it was Suki who faltered.

"Excuse me?" She glared at him; her fingers fidgeting, reaching for one of her fans. He smiled at her, a gleam in his eye, before shrugging.

"All those times you asked me to be your partner when teaching the others a new wrestling technique. It all makes sense now."

"I only asked for your help when Ty Lee wasn't there!" she shot back.

Zuko's raised an eyebrow and his grin grew wider. "You prefer to wrestle with Ty Lee then?"

They continued down the street. Zuko gently rubbed his arm; those fans, even closed, were no joke. They slowed to a stop once they reached the wall that separated the Middle Ring and Lower Ring. The guards were checking people, making getting in and out of the Lower Ring slow. Zuko lightly scratched his stubble as he looked around. His eyes fell on a nearby flower stall.

"Do you think I should get some flowers for her?" Zuko said, scanning the many other stalls and shops.

"It wouldn't hurt. I was going to suggest it, actually." She took him by the sleeve and led him to a store she had already spotted. They spent a few minutes browsing the selection.

"What type of flowers do Earth Kingdom girls like?" Zuko asked, looking at Suki through a mass of flowers.

"I'm pretty sure that as long as it doesn't kill her or give her a rash, but looks great on a mantel and smells nice, then anything really. ," she said, gently moving the flowers out of the way.

"You're such a great help," he mumbled. She laughed while he continued to search. "If I was giving you- I mean, if Sokka was giving you flowers, what ones would you like?"

She pursed and tapped her lips as she looked through the flowers. "The ones behind you are pretty." She pointed to a bouquet of cream-white flowers.

"You turned out to be useful after all," Zuko said, smirking at her. She rolled her eyes, moved her hands, and disappeared behind the flowers. He smiled as he went up to the counter to pay while Suki waited outside. Her eyes narrowed when Zuko stepped out of the shop, the flowers practically wilting in his hands.

"What type of scam is that?" she spat, turning to head straight back into the shop.

"Haven't you ever seen a moon flower?" She gave a slow shake of her head. Zuko moved the bouquet back into the shade, and they quickly bloomed. He laughed at her shocked face, moving them back into the sunlight. "Uncle had bought some for the house when we were living here."

"Don't hand Jin a bouquet of wilted flowers," she told him. "No girl would like that."

He nodded before tilting his head. "Mai might." She rolled her eyes and headed for the line to the Lower Ring. Zuko followed after her while trying to keep the flowers in her shadow as they walked.

After a few minutes they finally were allowed through the gate, and the city seemed to lose its colour. The main wall towered over them. There weren't many buildings that had more than two stories, and those that did, didn't seem in the best of shape. This time there wasn't much room for the people to give the Fire Lord and his bodyguard room to walk. The Kyoshi Warrior found herself closer to Zuko as they walked, and sometimes even pressed right up against him, which she wasn't going to complain about. She found herself eyeing up more people as they pushed through the busy streets. Two men in the entrance to an alleyway, rusted swords strapped at their waist, met her gaze. One of them smiled widely at her, showing off his array of missing teeth.

"Ignore them," Zuko told her, glancing at them before looking away. "There's nothing to be worried of. I've dealt with guys like them before; most of them can't fight, let alone swing a sword."

"As your personal bodyguard, I'll decide what to worry about. I'm just making sure none of them get any ideas." He gave a shrug and led the way through the streets and back alleys. The roads seemed to get somewhat cleaner and the houses better kept after a while. "So, this is where you lived for a while during the war?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised I even remember my way here."

"Was it always so crowded?" she asked while she stretched her arms and rolled her shoulder.

"Before Uncle and I left for the Upper Ring, I'd say it was even worse. A lot of refugees have went back home, hoping to rebuild their lives." Zuko slowed to a stroll, and Suki followed suit. "The city is still probably trying to figure out just how many are still in the city."

"I can't imagine that'll be easy for them. They won't have any idea about planning for the Lower Ring for some time."

"I'm sure they'll figure something out." He gave a shrug. "It's not my problem, anyway." She was about to respond when he smiled and hurried forward. She looked at the single story building. The green lanterns hanging on either side of the door helped it stand out from the larger, plainer buildings beside it. She glanced up at the welcome sign: Pao Family Tea House. Suki eyed the

'Former worplace of the Dragon of the West ' written beneath the shop's name before walking through the door.'.

Pao stood at the sound of the door opening. His jaw dropped when he spotted his old employee and rushed over to him. "Lee, it's been so long," he said, bowing to him. "Or should I call you Fire Lord Zuko?"

"Zuko is just fine," he told him, bowing deeper than Pao had. He looked past the old tea-maker and raised his eyebrows. "I remember this place being smaller."

"That's because it was," Pao said, smiling. "I had an extension added onto the back. Doubled the amount of seats. Your uncle brought in so many new customers, that even after he left, they would still come." He looked around proudly at his tea house. "My little business is one of the most popular in all the Lower Ring. I was thinking of moving up to the Middle Ring someday."

"I'm happy to hear. I remember you fought hard to keep us here. It's good to see you're thriving." Zuko heard someone clear their throat behind him. "Sorry," he said, taking a step to the side. "This is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Suki, this is Pao. I worked for him for some time."

"A pleasure," Pao said, bowing to her.

She returned his bow. "Likewise."

Pao turned and gestured to one of the empty tables. "Please, sit. We'll talk over some tea. I picked up a of couple tricks from your uncle, so it should be to your standard."

A few moments of silence past while Pao rummaged through the cupboards "I must apologise, but we don't have much time for tea," Suki told him. She glanced at Zuko, who sighed.

"I was hoping you could help me with something," he said, stepping up to the counter.

Pao put away the cups he had got out before turning to the Fire Lord. "Of course. Whatever you need."

"Is Jin still around? I don't know if—"

"Jin! Of course, she is. She's a regular here. She was here only a few hours ago."

Zuko stood a little taller and beamed. "That's fantastic. You wouldn't happen to know where she lives?"

"Yes, I do," the old teamaker said. "Why—" He stopped himself and looked at Zuko before he shook his head. "Give me a moment. I'll go find some ink and a brush."

"Many thanks," Zuko said. He smiled back at Suki and she could make out the excitement in his eyes. She gave a small smile.

_A Short While Later_

Suki looked at the address and her small map once more before slowing to a halt. She looked back at Zuko, who had stopped just a few paces behind her. She gave him a reassuring smile, and he took a deep breath in before walking up next to her.

"So...which one is it?" he asked, looking along the row of houses.

"Wujin Lu, 12th house," Suki replied. She mouthed the number twelve to herself until she spotted it inscribed on one of the doors and pointed at it. "This one." She waited for Zuko to move forward, but he seemed frozen in place. She took a step in front of him and faced him. "Don't go rushing now." He smiled weakly and went to step forward when a hand on his chest stopped him. "Hang on a moment." She began to straighten his robe. "Let's make sure you at least look presentable."

"I thought I looked fine," he said, grinning as she fixed his collar.

"You do, but you can always look just that much better," she told him, gently tilting his chin sideways. She ran her fingers along his sharp jaw. "Hold still."

"I am." He frowned when she used her free hand to flick open one of her fans. "What are—"

"Stop talking," she commanded. She placed the sharpened steel edge of her fan against his jaw and carefully shaved along it. She examined the angle as she went down along his neck, and couldn't help but grin when a bead of sweat rolled down the Fire Lord's forehead. "Don't worry. I've done this for Sokka quite a few times." She turned his face to the other side and swapped the fan to the opposite hand.

"That doesn't take away from the fact that you're holding what's basically a blade to my throat," Zuko said quickly before she placed the fan anywhere near him again. He immediately shut his mouth and held still when it touched his cheek.

"You're being a baby." She finished off his impromptu shave with a few light taps on his cheek. "There, now you're as smooth as one, too."

He let out a sigh of relief when she flicked the fan closed. "So, am I all good now?" She looked him up and down and stepped in close to him

"Your hair is a bit too messy." She stood on her tippy toes and reached up to his headpiece, then began to fix up his hair. While her hands continued to work, Zuko's light breaths across her lips made her mind fixate on how close they were. If she was to press forward just a little bit, she'd basically be kissing him. She pushed that thought away as she bundled up his hair. However, the pesky thought was now all that Suki could focus on.

Zuko's body stiffened as Suki let a deep breath escape her lips. He kept his gaze focused on the roofs of the houses and fought against his instinct to look down at the girl mere inches away from him. The last time he had stared into those sparkling blue eyes, he did something he still regretted. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

_This might be your last chance to do this,_ her mind told her. _All because you didn't want to have to deal with how you felt._ She tried her best to push the image from her mind but it was as stubborn as Sokka. That thought didn't help with the guilt she was feeling either. She finally fixed the pin in the headpiece and practically jumped away from the frozen Fire Lord.

"Okay, you look good now," she said, turning away quickly. "Hold the flowers behind your back, leave them in the sunlight first. She'll like watching them bloom in the shade when you give them to her; I know I did."

"Right..." Zuko took a few more seconds to look away from the Kyoshi Warrior before stepping up to the door. He rapped his knuckles against the door and waited, clearing his throat and trying to tear his focus away from the girl standing beside him. He heard the door unlock and stood a bit straighter.

"How may—" A man, a few years older than Zuko, stood in the door frame, staring at golden-eyed firebender. His eyes were wide for a few moments before he smiled softly. "I guess she wasn't lying when she told me she knew the Fire Lord."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice, long chapter this time around! I hope this chapter doesn't feel like too much of a punch to the gut for those of you who were looking forward to a possibly small Zuko/Jin relationship. Zuko was just unlucky I suppose. This was a very fun chapter to write, in that it was mostly Zuko and Suki spending time together, which is always good. Next chapter is looking to be even longer, so look forward to that!
> 
> I haven't heard anything from my beta for the past two weeks, I'm not sure what's up, but I only hope that she is okay. Due to this, updates may be slowed down to allow me to try to bring the chapters up to somewhere near the same quality as she was able to. I'll try my best to keep this to a weekly update. I want to give you guys the best possible work that I can, so if that means taking an extra week to go properly go through a chapter, then that's what I'll do.
> 
> Thanks to Serenity for being my beta on this story, she's fantastic!
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation: Aiguo - Eye-gwhoa Zhōngshān - Jong-shan (Think how Commander Zhao was pronounced.)

All the courage and hope Zuko had built up came crashing down as soon as the man opened the door. He knew he had been a bit wishful with some of his ideas, but now it seemed that not even the smallest of them was to be. He wanted to be annoyed with the man in front of him, but he couldn't. If anything, he was annoyed with himself. Jin was a beautiful and determined girl; he felt like an idiot for having never considered that she might have found someone else. Men would have fought to get her attention, and he was the lucky guy she gave a chance. Now here he was, standing in front of her boyfriend, or possibly even husband, with flowers behind his back. He had no one to be angry with but himself.

The man bowed deeply to the Fire Lord and his bodyguard. "An honour to meet you Fire Lord Zuko. I am Aiguo." Suki bowed while Zuko stood still, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"The honour is all mine," Zuko said after a few moments, finally bowing.

"I assume you are here to see Jin?" Aiguo asked. The welcoming smile never left his face.

Zuko shifted awkwardly, trying his best to keep the flowers out of view. "You would be correct. Is she here right now?"

"She's just in the kitchen. I'll get her for you." He gave a small bow of his head before turning and walking to the back. Suki watched Zuko let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping. She was sick to her stomach. She couldn't help but feel responsible for the disappointment he must be feeling. At first, he was excited about seeing Jin again, and of course the thoughts of having a relationship with her were there. Ty Lee was right though, she had become too invested in the idea. She had raised his hopes, and the defeated look was her fault.

He glanced back at her and she gave a sad smile. He shrugged and started to say something, when a scrabbling sound came from the house. He turned around just as the young woman sprinted out of the house.

"Lee!" Jin yelled as she collided with him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "Although, I guess I should call you Zuko now."

Zuko stumbled back a few steps until he found his footing. He took a moment to snap out of the shock before hugging her back and laughing. He made sure to keep his hands high. "It good to see you too," he said.

"Why do you have dead flowers behind your back?" Jin asked once they broke apart, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Would you take a small step back?" Suki asked, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry," she said, stepping back into the shade of the house. "I understand. You must be his bodyguard then."

"I am," she said, looking at Zuko. "That's not why I asked you to step back though."

Zuko could feel his face heating up. He glanced behind Jin, expecting to see Aiguo looking out, but he was nowhere to be seen. He looked back at Jin, who had a confused but curious look on her face, before giving an embarrassed smile. "Here."

"You got me–" She stopped talking as soon as the flowers came into view and bloomed. "Moon flowers?" she exclaimed, taking them from him. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much Lee–I mean, Zuko." He bowed his head and waved away her thanks. Jin glanced at Suki, who was smiling softly while watching them. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked, grinning. His eyebrows shot up and he quickly stepped to the side, gesturing to his bodyguard.

"Jin, this is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors." Suki bowed while Jin stared, open-mouthed.

"You're Suki? The girl who took down the Fire Nation air fleet with Sokka and Toph?" Suki nodded quickly, and Jin stepped over to her. Her eyes widened when she was pulled into a hug. "Thank you so much! My old village was in the path of those airships." Suki glanced at Zuko, who grinned.

"I was just doing what I had to. Honestly, it was Sokka who figured out how to take down the fleet," Suki said, lightly returning Jin's hug.

"Stop being modest Suki. Sokka and Toph never would have made it out if it wasn't for you," Zuko said. She shrugged once Jin had released her.

"Doesn't matter," Jin said. "You helped either way. So on behalf of Zhōngshān, I thank you." Suki bowed her head, a grateful smile on her face. Jin turned to Zuko, holding up the moon flowers. "I'll find somewhere to put these, then we're going for a walk."

Jin ran back into the house before Zuko could respond.

"She seems...energetic," Suki said, stepping up next to Zuko. "Kind too. I can see why you'd like her."

"Yeah," Zuko said, chuckling. "She was like that on our date, dragging me around and hurrying from place to place."

Jin appeared at the doorway and held up a vase with the flowers before placing them on a small table by the door. "Aiguo, I'm going for a walk to catch up with Zuko," she called into the house, and a hearty laugh came from the kitchen.

"That's why I love you Jin, you at least tell me when you're running off with another man." Zuko and Suki's eyes widened and they glanced at each other while Jin giggled and turned to them. "Let's go."

Suki looked around at the houses as they walked. "I don't mean to offend, but how come this place is so different to the other parts of the Lower Ring?"

"It's fine, I was shocked when Aiguo first brought me here too." She pointed to the wall, which towered over them. "These are the houses for the guards of the main wall. It's easier for them to live here in the Lower Ring, rather than travel all the way from the Middle Ring. You'll find estates like these all along the wall."

"Would you move to the Middle Ring if you had the chance?" Zuko asked.

She was a quiet for a moment. "No. There's too many things that are important to me here. My parents, friends and a couple of places."

"A couple of places?" Suki repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Jin said, smirking at Zuko, "the Firelight Fountain is certainly an important place to me." Zuko felt his face heating up, garnering a laugh from the two girls. "So, how come you're in Ba Sing Se?"

Zuko and Suki looked at each other. "I was visiting the Earth King," Zuko said hesitantly. "We had some things to discuss, and I thought it would be nice to stop by."

"Right," Jin said, eyeing Zuko. "Well, at least you didn't forget about me." The rich aroma of tea washed over them, and Jin skipped ahead. "We should go visit Pao. He'd love to see you again."

"Actually, we already visited him. He helped us find you," Suki told her.

"I'll have to thank him then," Jin said, slowing as she came to a small building. The tea house was much busier than when they left. Most of the tables were filled, leaving few spots for them to sit. Some of the people glared at the Fire Lord when he stepped through the door, but their gazes softened when Jin followed in after him. She smiled and nodded to those she knew.

"I see you found her," Pao said, smiling as approached their table. "What would you like to drink? Lychee as usual, Jin?" She grinned and nodded.

"I'll have some jasmine tea," Zuko said. He turned to Suki. "Same I imagine?"

She thought for a moment. "Actually, could I have spiced tea?"

"Spiced tea?" Pao said, his eyebrows rising. "Interesting choice. I hardly ever have that ordered."

"I first had it in the Fire Nation. It's grown on me," she told him with a shrug.

"I'll get those to you soon." He bowed and walked back behind the counter.

"You know," Jin began, "this is another important place to me." Her two companions sat forward while she lightly tapped the floor with her heel. "It's where I first met Aiguo."

"You seem to be pretty lucky with tea shops and guys," Suki said. She grinned at the look Zuko gave her. "So, did you just see him one day and decide to ask him out?"

"He actually had to hide here for a while when the Fire Nation controlled Ba Sing Se."

"What do you mean by hide?" Zuko asked.

"Well, this shop, and many others around the entire city acted as bases for the resistance while we were under occupation."

"I didn't realise there was such a strong resistance in Ba Sing Se," he said. "Can't say I'm surprised though."

"The Fire Nation censored most of the news coming out of Ba Sing Se," Suki stated. "I've read through a lot of the reports. There were constant attacks and riots in the city. If I remember right, the attacks became less frequent, but much more damaging."

"We became more organised," Jin explained and tapped her heel against the floor again. "The Earthbenders carved out a basement under here for us to plan things out and hide."

"Having it underneath a tea shop is pretty clever," Suki said. "What if the place got raided though?"

"It was actually, many times," Pao said, placing a tray on the table and handing them their drinks. They each gave a nod of thanks while Zuko paid for the drinks. Suki took a sip of the spiced tea. It was nice, but she preferred the Fire Nation version.

"They never found anything," Jin added. "Only an earthbender can open the ground to get down there."

"I never imagined you'd be the type of girl to go off fighting," Zuko said with a grin. He glanced at Suki, who shifted her scabbard. "Although, I suppose looks can be deceiving."

Suki cocked an eyebrow. "I don't know if that was a compliment or insult."

"Take it as both then." He hid his smile behind his cup while she rolled her eyes. Jin's eyes flicked back and forth between them. She sat back in her chair with her tea, lightly pulling at one of her ponytails with her free hand.

"So, did you do much fighting?" Zuko asked.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." She sat forward and brushed some hair out of her face. "I didn't actually do any of the fighting, that was for people like Aiguo. I was only a courier. The Fire Nation soldiers would hardly dare search a woman."

"Better than having important letters in a pocket or bag, I suppose," Suki noted, and Jin blushed lightly. "Even if they did search a woman, I can't imagine that would go well for them."

"They tried it with a friend of mine; the people nearly tore the guards apart. They weren't stupid enough to try it again. Didn't stop interrogations though."

"Constantly moving information past soldiers still takes nerves of steel," Zuko said.

"Exactly. To say you were only a courier is silly. That's a vital role for any group." Suki added.

Jin shrugged and waved it off. "We all had to stick together, I was just doing what I had to."

"Just like I had to when up against Ozai's fleet?" Suki said.

"Kind of... I guess," Jin said, bowing her head. She shared a smile with the warrior and held herself a little straighter. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying their drinks.

"Was there any fighting close to you when my Uncle and the White Lotus retook the city?" Suki asked.

"A lot actually. When word reached us about the army, pretty much everyone began to fight too." She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I ran from place to place letting people know about them."

"From what I've read, they positioned the majority of the army near that wall," Suki said. "Were the remaining soldiers much trouble?"

"Aiguo told me it was entirely non-bending soldiers they faced. They mostly focused on pushing them towards the masters. Most of them surrendered when they saw another attack coming from behind them." Jin grinned at Zuko. "I still can't believe your uncle, that sweet old man, is so powerful."

He gave a light shrug. "He hides it quite well."

"A firebending master, an amazing teamaker," Jin began, flashing another smile. "And a pretty good hairstylist too. You should have seen him, Suki; he looked adorable with his combed hair!" The Fire Lord hid behind his cup as the two girls laughed.

"I can imagine," Suki said. "It's a shame I missed him falling into that fountain."

Jin's eyebrows shot up while Zuko sunk further behind his tea. "Come on, I want to show you guys something." She stood quickly, and gestured for them both to hurry.

The Fire Lord and his bodyguard shared a look before following after the excited girl. "You better not try to push me into the fountain." He got a mischievous smirk in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Time for the newest chapter. We get a good bit of backstory on what Jin has been up to, and some nice idea of life during the occupation of Ba Sing Se. Originally, this chapter, and the one next week were meant to be all together, however it ended being about double the size of a normal chapter of mine, so I decided to split it up where I thought it best to do so. The next chapter will wrap up things between Zuko and Jin and then we're into the last couple of chapters.
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

The sun had finally dipped below the wall, casting a shadow across the city, while Jin lead Zuko and Suki through the streets. Zuko slowed to a stop once they rounded the corner. Jin continued past him, but stopped when she reached the circle of torches. Suki followed her, glancing back at the Fire Lord and grinning.

"So, is this what I think it is?"

He slowly nodded. "Firelight Fountain. I can still smell the fish that Mai slapped on my head." She walked back to him and grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Come on, keep walking," she told him, dragging him along.

Jin looked back at the laughing pair and her eyes narrowed, an intrigued smirk coming to her face. "Well, that looks familiar."

Zuko looked around the circle, the last few moments of his date playing over and over in his mind. He still regretted running off and leaving Jin on her own.

"I can see why you like the place," Suki said, leaning against one of the torches. "Even without the candles lit, it's still romantic."

"It's my favourite place in the whole city," Jin told her. "They'll light them in an hour or two. Although..." She turned to the Fire Lord, who was still gazing around the fountain. "We do have our own firebender." His gaze snapped to them and he frowned when they continued to look at him. Suki made little gestures behind Jin, pretending to shoot fire at the lights. He rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the fountain, slowing his breathing. Jin leaned on the other side of the torch across from Suki. "I have always wanted to watch him do this."

Suki laughed as the Fire Lord stood still. "I've seen him training back in the Fire Nation. He's skilled. This should be easy for him."

He couldn't figure out why he was so nervous; he had done this before, it wasn't difficult. He was used to performing firebending in front of others. He looked over his shoulder, his gaze passing over the excited girl and focusing on the Kyoshi Warrior, who stood expectantly. He turned back around and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply until his lungs were full, and brought his clasped hands up to his chest. He focused on the image in his mind. His eyes snapped open and he began to fire at the candles. He seemed to shoot at random, turning quickly with each movement, and even fired before he had seen his target, always hitting true. He stepped up onto the edge of the fountain, firing down at the floating candles.

"He's showing off," Suki noted as he began to move along the edge, dealing with the lights the fountain had obscured.

Jin glanced at Suki, who was focused completely on the Fire Lord. "So, what happened with the knife throwing girl?" she said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm pretty sure they were dating when I met them."

"They broke up a few years ago," she said curtly. She lightly bit at her lip, but stayed focused on Zuko.

Jin furrowed her brow but decided not to push it. She turned back to the firebender as he completed his circuit of the edge. He lit the candle at the top of the fountain and held his pose. His eyes flicked to the side and he pictured the two girls behind him. He spun on his left leg, brought his right in and kicked high. Jin let out a yelp and ducked behind Suki, The Kyoshi Warrior however, stood completely still as the fireball sailed overhead, lighting the torch she was leaning on. Zuko held his leg in the air for a few moments, breathing heavily before dropping it and stepping down.

Suki stared at him, illuminated by the fountain behind him. "That was...amazing," she mumbled to herself.

Jin stepped out from behind her and looked at her with a sly smile before turning towards Zuko. "That was incredible! I can't believe I didn't realise you were a firebender when that first happened."

Zuko let out a laugh as Suki strolled over to them. "You put on a bit of a show for us."

"I try my best. When did you figure it out?"

"I really only put two and two together after the Fire Nation took over," Jin explained, scratching the back of her neck. "I thought for the longest time you had just been some spy working for them."

"I can't imagine hearing that I helped Azula went far to change that," Zuko muttered, his mouth forming a tight line.

Jin laughed and sat down on the edge of the fountain. "I only figured out who you actually were when I saw posters and watched a play with Aiguo." She looked away for a moment and sighed. "I'll admit, I didn't have the best opinion of you when I first learned you were the Fire Lord." She glanced back at him with a warm smile. "I'm just happy that you made the right choice in the end." She tapped the fountain edge next to her. Zuko's raised his eyebrows, but sat down beside her. "Suki, do you think Zuko and I could talk together for a moment."

"Of course," she said, bowing before walking over to one of the torches and turning away. She saluted the Dai Li agent watching them from the roof of a nearby building, but he disappeared immediately. Zuko stared at the floor, silent.

"Did you really come to Ba Sing Se for a meeting with the Earth King, and just decide to visit me?" The Fire Lord hung his head low. "I'll take what ever you tell me as the truth."

He almost said yes, but only a sigh came out. His cheeks began to heat up. "You were the reason I came to Ba Sing Se."

"I had a feeling I was."

Zuko covered his face with his hands, "I'm an idiot."

"I'm not saying you're not, but don't beat yourself up over it. This is all very sweet," she said, giving him a light elbow in the side.

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Sweet?"

"I don't know a lot of guys who'd travel all the way to Ba Sing Se just to ask me out. Well, I guess I don't know many lords either." He let out a chuckle, looking back at the floor. "Thanks by the way."

"For what?"

"Being honest with me. I knew something was up, but I would have understood if you didn't tell me."

"It's not like I hid it very well," he said, getting a laugh from her. "Thanks."

She threw and arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. The pair sat their for a few silent moments. "So..." Jin began, looking over to the Kyoshi Warrior. "are you going to ask her out?" Zuko's head snapped up.

"What? Who?"

"Suki. You two like each other, right?" He started to deny it, but Jin continued on. "You would make such a romantic couple. The Fire Lord and his loyal bodyguard."

He let out another sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's nothing between Suki and me."

"Oh, really?" She crossed her arms and frowned. "You two seem pretty close."

"Well, I suppose we are, but not in a romantic way. We've been through a lot together," he said, not able to meet her eyes.

She shook her head and chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder "You've got even worse at lying since our date." He glanced over at the Suki, who still had her back turned to them before facing Jin, who had a knowing grin on her face.

"Is it really that obvious?"

She gave a quick nod. "What's the problem? I'm certain she likes you too. Just ask her out."

"That wouldn't go well, she's–"

"Wait, you're telling me you came halfway across the world to ask me out, a girl you hadn't seen in nearly three years, but you're worried about the girl you see nearly every day?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." he said, resting his head in his palms. "She's already in a relationship with Sokka." Jin tilted her head slightly. "Yeah, the Sokka you heard about in the plays."

Jin stayed quiet for a moment and begun lightly pulling at one of her ponytails. "And what if Sokka wasn't there?" Zuko gave her a worried look. "I mean if they weren't together, would you be able to ask her out then?"

Zuko sat up a bit straighter and scratched his cheek. "Maybe, I suppose if...I mean yes, I would. Sure."

Jin beamed as she stood. "Good. Now if you ever get that chance, remember this conversation, okay?" Zuko smiled weakly up at her and bowed his head. "Trust me, if you ask, I guarantee she'll say yes."

"Jin," Zuko muttered as she walked towards Suki, who was looking at them out of the corner of her eye. "If you and Aiguo weren't together, what would you have said to me?"

It was Jin's turn to blush. She stepped up to him, a smirk on her face. "I wouldn't have jumped into your arms, but..." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I'd have given you a chance; I would have liked getting to know the real Lee, Zuko." He glanced over to Suki as he hugged the young woman. She had turned to look directly at them, a sad smile on her face. "Maybe in another life," Jin said, lightly kissing his cheek, as she released him.

Zuko smiled sheepishly. "Maybe." He looked over her shoulder, at the Kyoshi Warrior who strolled towards them.

"You two have a good talk?"

"Yeah," Zuko said, getting a sly grin from Jin. "It was nice."

Jin glanced up at the darkening sky and pulled a face. "I should probably get back to Aiguo. He'd either starve or burn down the house if I left him to cook dinner."

The Fire Lord bowed deeply. "It was a pleasure seeing you again. Aiguo is a lucky man."

"He better know it," she said, laughing as she returned his bow.

"It was lovely to–" Suki found herself enveloped in a hug. She and Zuko rolled their eyes at each other.

"Take good care of him, okay?" Jin whispered into her ear.

"Sure thing," she whispered back after a moment.

Jin gave one last squeeze before letting the Kyoshi Warrior go. "We're not sure of the date, but Aiguo and I are getting married sometime in the next few months. I'll try to send a letter or something to let you know when."

"That would be nice," Zuko said, giving her a light smile.

"Zuko tends to get a lot of letters," Suki said. "Send it to me, it'll get through to us quicker."

"I'll be sure to do that." She gave Zuko one last quick hug. "Thanks for coming to see me." She turned and hurried off, and Zuko and Suki found themselves alone, illuminated only by the candles of the Firelight Fountain.

"Are you okay?" Suki asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he said after a few moments. "I'm alright."

"Well, that's good. It's unfortunate she was with Aiguo; I can see why you would have liked to see her again."

He shrugged, and looked into the fountain. "She seemed happy with him; that's the important thing, I suppose."

"That's a great way to look at it," she said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Let's go. We should probably head back. I'm sure Ty Lee will have about a hundred questions for us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, cute! Hopefully this chapter helped the sooth those who were looking for a small relationship between Jin and Zuko. I felt this was a nice way for the two of them to say goodbye. I'd like to hear people's opinions on how I wrote Jin. She didn't get much screen time, so it was interesting trying to imagine how she would be in a few years. Anyway, the next chapter is currently being written up. About 1000 words or so into it, looking to be another long chapter. Not to give too much away, but Suki forgot about something a bit important!
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An Old Flame Update - 15/02/18  
> This is just a quick update to leave you know that there won't be a chapter this week. As I thought, this week has been very busy, with both school work and other activities. I do have some good news though, Chapter 12 is looking to be about 4000 or so words, maybe even more. I'm at about 3000 right now, then it'll be sent off to my Beta and we'll have a bit of discussion on it. Hopefully, I'll have it finished by next Thursday. The chapter itself has some interesting conversations that you'll all hopefully enjoy.  
> Thank you for the patience, it's annoying not just for you, but for me too having to miss an update. Anyway, thank you for keeping up with the story. ^^
> 
> Update - 23/02/18  
> Good news! The chapter is written. ^^ Bad news, I still have to wait until I get it back from my beta, which should hopefully only take a couple of days. There'll probably be some slight rewrites, and general back and forth. Also, the chapter turned out to be about 6000 words! I'm considering splitting it into two 3000 words chapters, although they would be posted fairly close to each other. Again, I'm sorry about the delay; this chapter has a lot of stuff in it, and I want it to be the best thing I can make for you guys. On a side note, Chapter 11 has been beta'd and has a couple of small changes. The main thing being how the dress is described. If you have any questions, be sure to message me. Thank you all again for your patience!

Zuko's hair fell to the sides as he slipped his headpiece off, placing it on his bedside table and brushing the few strands out of his face. He was definitely getting it shaved when he got back to the Fire Nation. Maybe not shaved, but as long as it didn't blind him with every turn of his head, he'd be happy. He and Suki hadn't spoken much on the walk home, which he was grateful for. She had simply done her job as his bodyguard, but still sent a few glances, letting him know that if he wanted to talk, she'd listen. He wasn't sure if his voice would keep steady if she had asked what he and Jin had spoken about. He never was good at lying. Ursa, Ty Lee and Jin had all known immediately he wasn't being honest; Suki would easily notice, although she probably wouldn't have pushed it. He was still wondering if Suki had somehow eavesdropped on their conversation. If she had, she showed no evidence of having done so.

 _Kyoshi Warriors can't lip-read, right?_ He'd have to ask her when he got the chance. Even if they couldn't, he never knew with Suki. She always seemed to have some trick up her sleeve. He still had trouble figuring out which signature was his, and which were her forgeries back on the airship. A loud knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Zuko, is everything okay?" came Suki's muffled voice. The Fire Lord stayed quiet for a moment.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You didn't answer when I first knocked. I thought you... May I come in? I'd rather not talk to a door." He chuckled, opened the door for her, and she held out a small plate with a cup towards him. "I thought some tea might help cheer you up."

"It usually does," he told her, giving a nod of thanks as he took the drink and sat down on his bed. His eyes shot up in pleasant surprise once he took a sip. "This is pretty good. Really good, actually."

"It's nothing, honestly. Iroh gave me a few lessons when he was staying with us once."

"It's always nice having a personal teamaker." He grinned when she rolled her eyes. He shifted over slightly and gestured towards the free space on the bed. She took the seat and looked around his room.

"Are we going to be staying in Ba Sing Se much longer?" she asked.

Zuko lightly scratched his stubble before shrugging. "Another day or two at the most. I want to say bye to Uncle before I leave." He glanced at her hands fidgeting with one of her fans. "Looking forward to being back in Kyoshi Island?" She left the fan in her lap and took a moment to respond.

"Yeah..." Zuko tilted his head and she glanced away from him, slipping the fan back into the ribbon tied at the waist of her kimono "Of course. It's been a few years since I've seen everyone. I'll have a lot to catch up on."

He nodded slowly and tried to catch her eye. "I doubt much will have changed in the three years you've been gone."

Another few silent seconds passed. "It's more like two and a half years actually."

Zuko let out a chuckle. "You realise that actually makes my point stronger."

"Shut up." The two smirked at each before Suki looked away again. "I want to apolo–" There was a knock on the door of the house and they both stood to answer it. "It's probably Ty Lee. I'll tell you later." Suki was quicker than Zuko and reached it first. She kept her free hand close to the hilt of her blade and opened the door halfway, being greeted by the plastic smile of Jia.

"Hello, Suki. Is the Fire Lord there?" she asked, looking past the bodyguard.

"He is," she told her, giving a slow nod. "Why do you want him?"

Jia eyes narrowed, but held her smile. "Have you forgotten you requested a carriage for tonight?" Suki's eyes widened and she cursed under her breath. She took a step back, letting the door swing open fully, and Jia bowed. "Fire Lord Zuko, the carriage to bring you to the Royal Jade has arrived."

He raised an eyebrow at the Earth Kingdom official before glancing at Suki. "The Royal Jade?"

"It's the restaurant I booked for you and Jin." A pang of guilt hit her when his shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry. I should have cancelled it when we–"

"It's alright," he said, waving away her apology. He swirled the remaining tea in his cup before finishing it off. "Jia, would you give my apologies to the Royal Jade for cancelling on such short notice? I'll pay for any special arrangements they may have made for me."

Jia's eyes flicked between the pair, the smile now gone, replaced by a confused grimace. "Of course, Fire Lord Zuko." They bowed to each other and Jia turned on her heel, heading for the carriage. Suki gently closed the door and looked back at Zuko, who had already sat by the table. She began to walk towards him but slowed when he pinched the bridge of his nose, mumbling to himself. He slowly ran his hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

Suki stepped out of the front door before the logical side of her brain could protest. She spotted the carriage turn a corner and chased after it, easily catching up to the slow-moving vehicle. The coachman glanced down at her and gave the reigns a gentle pull, slowing the carriage to a stop. Jia opened the door and tilted her head at her.

"Did the Fire Lord change his mind?" she asked, her face once again straining under her smile.

She gave a quick nod, taking light breaths. "We'll be a couple of minutes, so just wait outside."

"We?" Jia said, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. The Fire Lord must always have a bodyguard with him." The Kyoshi Warrior silently thanked her paint for hiding the blush that had began to come to her face.

"So, the Fire Lord will be dining alone then?"

"Well, technically not alone," she said, scratching the back of her neck. "I'll be with him."

"Uh-huh..." Jia muttered, slightly frowning before she stepped out of the carriage. "If that's the case, I'll make my way home. Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you." The two shared a bow and Suki hurried back to the house. A part of her told her this was a stupid move, but she didn't care.

"Where were you?" Zuko asked as she slipped through the door.

"Doesn't matter. Go and get dressed in some nice..." She eyed his clothes. He hadn't changed since meeting Jin. "Nevermind, you're fine. Just put your headpiece on." She bounded up the stairs before he could respond.

He stood still, a bemused look on his face before slowly making his way into his room and picking up his headpiece. He glanced in a mirror, quickly did up his hair and put the crown into place. "What in Agni does she have planned?" he asked his mirror-self, who gave a shrug. Zuko chuckled and slipped the needle through its hole, securing the piece. He began to adjust his robes when a glint caught his eye. He glanced back at his bedside table, and picked up the golden headpiece his mother gave him as a gift for Jin. He smiled sadly and traced his finger along the Fire Nation insignia engraving. There was a knock on his door and he slipped it into his pocket before turning around.

"How do I look?"

Zuko stared at the lightly blushing girl, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. With a rounded neckline that showed off her collarbones, the dress hugged her chest and waist while the bottom of the dress, flowing down past her feet, was layered and folded over itself. A wine-coloured ribbon kept the light red fabric tight to her stomach and Zuko could see the pale skin of her shoulders through the silk wine shawl draped around her to just past her elbows. He couldn't help but think her slightly flushed cheeks complimented the dress well.

He lost himself as the rest of the world faded into the background. Zuko didn't understand how someone could have such an effect on him, but he was at a loss for words. "You look fantastic," he stuttered out after a few moments. "But why are you dressed like that?"

She rolled her eyes and gave an embarrassed grin. "I'm not one to turn down a free dinner, and thought it might cheer you up a bit. Are you ready to go?"

He glanced in the mirror before looking back to her. "Just give me a few minutes."

"You're worse than a woman," she said, smirking at him over her shoulder as she left. "I'll wait in the carriage."

He let out a deep breath the moment she was out of the room. He turned back to the mirror, placed both hands on the table and locked eyes with himself. "Control yourself. She's just trying to cheer you up, that's it. You've made one mistake; do not compound it with another." He straightened up, checked his appearance once more, and then heading for the carriage.

Suki smiled at him as he clambered into the carriage and sat next to her. He did his best not to look at her for too long. "I'm still surprised you wanted to do this," he said as the carriage began to move.

"Well, all the other girls were off enjoying Ba Sing Se." She lightly elbowed him in the side. "I was stuck playing matchmaker for the Fire Lord; I, at least, deserve a dinner." Zuko let out a chuckle before glancing at her.

"Where did you find that dress? My mother didn't give that as a gift for Jin, too, did she?"

She bit her lip and grinned sheepishly. "I may have looked through Ty Lee's wardrobe and found this." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "I was surprised it fit me. I thought it was going to be a bit big."

He turned to her, a confused look on his face. "But Ty Lee is smaller than—" He quickly shut his mouth, mentally kicking himself for even thinking that was a good thing to say.

"I didn't mean it like that," they both said in unison, looking at each other, their faces burning up. Zuko quickly turned away, and decided the street was suddenly very interesting. Suki cast her gaze towards the floor of the carriage, crossed her arms across her chest and prayed for her blush to disappear.

After a couple of minutes of only the sounds of the coachman's light humming, the tapping of the ostich horses' talons on the road, and the hustle and bustle of the street, Zuko heard the Kyoshi Warrior curse behind him. He turned and saw her attempting to hold a mirror while applying make-up, balancing a small box on her lap. The carriage bounced up and down, making her almost poke herself in the eye. She let out a growl as she went to try again.

"Want me to hold those for you?" he asked, gesturing towards the mirror and small container of make-up.

"Thanks," she said, handing them over. Even without having to focus on keeping everything still, the rocking continued to make it difficult.

"Two seconds," Zuko said, placing the mirror and box on the seat. He leaned out the window of the carriage and caught the coachman's eye. "Would you slow the carriage down?"

He gave a nod and a slight pull on the reigns. "Of course, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Thank you," Suki said as he sat back down next to her.

"No problem at all." He picked the mirror back up. "Although, you don't really need to do this." She blinked at him a few times and tilted her head.. He shrugged before putting the mirror back down. "I just thought, considering you spend so much time in your Kyoshi make-up, maybe you'd prefer to not have to deal with it. It's not like you need it, anyway." Suki stared at him, eyes wide, and he broke her gaze.

She smiled lightly, her face once more heating up before frowning. "It would have been great if you told me that before I started to put it on." Zuko shrugged, opened a compartment in the wall in front of them and took out a small bowl, a cloth, and a kettle full of water. He quickly heated the kettle and poured the hot water into the bowl, handing it to her. "Can I get one of these when we're back in the Fire Nation?" she asked as she began to clean the make-up off her face.

"I'll think about it," he told her. The pair shared a laugh and he turned back to look out at the street.

Once Suki had finished with the cloth, she sat back, looking in the mirror once more. She glanced at the Fire Lord, who was still facing away from her. She bit her lip before using a piece of light red lipstick. She stared at herself in the small hand-mirror.

It goes well with the dress, she told herself, although she knew that wasn't why she had used it. She cleared her throat, and Zuko looked back at her.

"You're lovely," he said, and she bowed her head in thanks. "Although..."

Her eyes narrowed while she opened up one of her fans; a warning. "Yes?"

"You're missing something." Her head tilted and he smirked. He slipped his hand into his pocket but kept it closed when he took it out. "I know it was meant to be a gift for Jin, but...I think it would look nice." He opened his palm, revealing the golden headpiece.

After some hesitation, she took it and began to trace the Fire Nation symbol. She glanced at him before turning away. She bunched up her hair, slipped the headpiece on and slid in the pin. "Well, how do I look?"

He shifted slightly closer and reached up, slightly rotating the piece so the insignia faced the right direction. He sat back and felt his heart begin to thump in his chest as he stared into her blue eyes. "Beautiful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was originally meant to be the first part of the next chapter. However, it sorta morphed into it's own little chapter. Finally, Zuko found someone to give Ursa's gift! The dress is certainly different to the usual dresses of the Avatar world, but I think Ty Lee would go for something that would really turn some heads. Hopefully, the description gave you a nice image; as a guy, I'm never sure when describing clothing. Slightly clichéd ending, but I think it's pretty cute.
> 
> Next chapter will of course deal with this totally-not-a-date date. I know I am going to be quite busy during this week, but I will try to keep on schedule. I will post an update on my profile if I know for a fact the chapter won't be ready.
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

The Royal Jade bustled with waiters and waitresses moving from table to table, their footsteps audible above the chatter as they echoed against the marble tiles. The glowing crystal lights along the walls, encased in translucent imperial jade cases, lit the room, highlighting the many occupied tables full of people dressed in lavish clothing, with necklaces and headpieces adorned with a host of different jewels. Zuko and Suki were in a more private area of the restaurant, far enough that they couldn't hear the quiet conversations of the other patrons, but could still see the curious glances sent their way. Their area was decorated with exquisite paintings of people from Earth Kingdom history, the most notable being Avatar Kyoshi.

Suki rested her head in her palm, an annoyed look on her face as she stared at nothing in particular. Her eyes flicked to the Fire Lord across from her who shook his head and chuckled.

"I didn't know you'd be a fussy eater."

"I am not!" she said, sitting up straight and crossing her arms. "What type of restaurant doesn't serve komodo steak?"

"An Earth Kingdom one?" he tried, smirking at her. "I'm sure the food will be good regardless. It would have to be good to be in the Upper Ring, right?" She continued to pout, getting another laugh out of him, but stayed quiet as the waiter walked over to them.

"Two bowls of noodle and vegetable soup," the server stated, placing them on their table. "Your main course is being prepared and should be out to you soon." They both gave a nod of thanks before he stepped back a respectful distance and looked out over the restaurant.

"Since when did you prefer Fire Nation food?" Zuko asked, taking small spoonfuls of his soup.

She gave a shrug, stirring hers. "Surprisingly, once it stopped burning me from the inside out, it was actually pretty nice." She grinned and glanced away from him. "Of course, its second only to Kyoshi Island. Home food is always the best." The waiter glanced back at them, raising an eyebrow before he hurried back to the kitchen.

"What should I try when we get there?"

"When the village sees that we're back, they'll probably throw a feast. You'll have more than enough to gorge yourself on." The pair shared a small laugh.

"How are you feeling about going back?" he asked, his voice showing a hint of concern, which got a frown from her. "It's just..." He quietly cleared his throat. "You seemed a bit unsure back in the house."

She looked away from him and found herself glancing at the painting of Avatar Kyoshi. "Nervous," she admitted after a few moments. "It took a lot of convincing to allow me to take so many of the Kyoshi Warriors to the Fire Nation, especially considering it was to become your bodyguards."

His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head before nervously biting his lip. "Oh...They're still angry about the whole attacking the village thing?"

She rolled her eyes and covered her mouth to hide her grin when Zuko's eyes lit up with mischief and a smirk slowly began to appear. "Yeah, some are still angry that you burned down our village."

"Hopefully, my second visit goes a bit better."

"You're such an idiot," she told him, struggling not to laugh from the smirk on his face. She held her composure and bit her lip. "I didn't exactly leave on good terms with some of my elders, and the Kyoshi Warriors who stayed were even worse."

"How were they worse?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Some of them believed that the Kyoshi Warriors should only serve Kyoshi Island, and to leave is to betray our teachings." She let out a sigh, and her face fell. "I suppose they're technically right. We're meant to be the protectors of the island, not the Fire Lord, or anyone else."

"And yet you still decided to come to the Fire Nation?"

She nodded slowly. "Mai asked for my help, and I wasn't just going to say no when your life was in danger. Ty Lee and I would have went to the Fire Nation even if the elders had told us no." Zuko smiled softly, bowing his head. That annoying fluttering in her chest that he seemed to cause more and more often came to her once again.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow. "So, you're just worried that it might be awkward seeing everyone again?"

"It sounds stupid when you put it that way," she said, laughing. "And what if I embarrass myself?" Zuko stared, confused. "I've been going over all the traditions we have on the island, but there are so many small little things. I'm worried I'm going to mess something up."

"And as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors..."

"Messing up would be very bad." She let out a giggle and her head dropped, getting a strange look from him. "I'll be like when Ty Lee first lived on the island. I don't know how, but for the first couple of weeks, she always did something that upset people."

"Did she at least get the hang of it?" he asked, trying to suppress his chuckle.

"It took longer than it should have; she got out of punishments whenever it was the men who caught her," she explained with a roll of her eyes. "Half the boys in the village were falling over themselves trying to please her."

He gave a knowing smile. "I never know if she does that on purpose or not."

"I doubt she knows herself." He shrugged before glancing down at his near-empty bowl. Suki raised an eyebrow as the Fire Lord picked it up and gulped down the last bit of soup. "Classy." He smiled sheepishly as he spotted some of the disapproving looks he received from the other patrons. Suki shook her head once he turned back to her, feigning complete innocence. She couldn't believe she had actually fallen for this idiot.

She quickly looked away from him, pretending to adjust her dress. She tried to push that thought as far from her mind as possible, but it was as stubborn as Sokka—that didn't help ease any of the guilt she was feeling. This is a dinner between friends, and that's all it's going to stay. She was pulled out of her thoughts when a delicious aroma wafted past her.

A waiter rolled a decorative serving trolley with a bottle of wine and a dome plate towards them. Zuko and Suki's eyebrows shot up from the size of the dish when he lifted the cloche. "Roast venison, wrapped in the bacon of a hippo-cow and seasoned with a large array of spices," the server told them. The pair shared an eye roll before Zuko gave a nod of thanks when the man placed the dish in front of him. He took in a deep breath and had a bite.

"It's lovely," he told the waiter, who was more concerned with the glare of the Kyoshi Warrior.

"If I may ask," she began, arching an eyebrow, "where's my roast duck?"

"I apologise for the delay," he said with a deep bow. "However, when our chef heard that you were from Kyoshi Island, he wanted to prepare a special dish. It should only be a couple more minutes." He turned and pushed his trolley back to the kitchen while Suki pouted, watching the Fire Lord enjoy his meal. He glanced up, and seeing her lightly licking her lips, pushed his plate towards her. She gave a sheepish grin before taking a piece with her chopsticks.

"I'm a small bit offended," Zuko stated as he pulled his plate back to his side. Suki stopped mid-bite and tilted her head, getting a slight grin in return. "Even though I'm the Fire Lord, you're the one who's getting a special dinner cooked for them."

She shrugged, took a small sip of wine and winked at him. "About time someone realised I'm royalty."

He raised an eyebrow. "Royalty?"

"Of course, I am the royal bodyguard. If anything, I even rank above you, who else gets to tell off the Fire Lord when he's being an idiot?"

"Uh-huh...you're not getting that carriage now." She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort when a familiar scent brought the shores of Kyoshi Island to her mind.

"My name is Gan, head chef of the Royal Jade. I hope you can forgive me for cancelling your order," a man in a long black and red uniform, standing next to the waiter, said. He bowed deeply to her. "I decided to take the initiative when I heard you were from the island of Kyoshi. If you'd prefer, I can easily prepare something else."

The waiter lifted the cloche and Suki's jaw dropped. "Seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi, served with ginger-infused pea tendril and hibiscus-root salad. I hope you enjoy."

"How..." she muttered as the dish was placed in front of her.

"I had the pleasure of visiting the island a year ago while trying to experience all the tastes of the world. I was in luck. They had only recently caught a koi. Oyaji was kind enough to teach me how they cooked it. I ordered some and stored it on the off-chance I meet someone from Kyoshi Island." He wiped away the beads of sweat that had begun to roll down his forehead as Suki took a bite.

"It tastes perfect!" she said, beaming up at him. "It's like I'm back home already."

"Thank you very much! I'm glad my years of travelling didn't go to waste. Now I should get back to the kitchen before my boss scolds me." Zuko and Suki laughed quietly as the chef bowed once more and hurried away.

"Enjoy your meal," the waiter said and turned on his heel.

"An early taste of Kyoshi Island," Suki said, placing a piece of her food on Zuko's plate. He popped it into his mouth and, after swallowing, pursed his lips. "Well?"

"It's nice," he told her with a shrug. The ends of his mouth turned slightly upwards from the annoyed look she gave him. Her free hand slunk off the table and went to her waist. He raised his hands submissively and looked down, a smirk on his face, when she began to tap her closed fan on the table. "I meant to say it's lovely."

"Of course, you did." The fan was slipped back into the cloth tied around her waist. She glanced up at him, the grin still on his face, and covered her mouth to suppress the giggle that threatened to escape. She had another bite of the elephant koi and closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the taste. When Suki opened them again, she found Zuko with a confused, half-smile on his face. Her lips twitched as she cleared her throat and took a sip of wine, making the Fire Lord chuckle and shake his head before tucking back into his venison. Her eyes stayed on him for a few moments, until she glanced at her wine glass, and pulled her hand away from the stem. She focused on her food, and hoped the blush across her cheeks wasn't too noticeable.

"At first, I never was fond of Earth Kingdom food," Zuko said after a few quiet minutes. "However, near starvation makes even rice taste like the food of lords."

"Maybe it'd do you good to stick to rice for a few months again," Suki stated, her face neutral, not even looking at him.

"Are you saying I'm..." He slowly closed his mouth, his frown being replaced by a defeated smile. He let out a sigh, which turned into a quiet chuckle. "I suppose I deserved that."

She nodded, a smirk on her face. "Next time, we should head to Yu Dao. I'd like to see Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation food mixed together. I wonder how it'll change in the future?"

"Mmm...It's an interesting experiment," he said, and slowly scratched his stubble. His bodyguard raised her eyebrows.

"Do you have doubts?"

He stayed silent for a few moments. "About the food? I think it'll be fine. About the future of Yu Dao? A couple." Suki leaned forward, resting her chin on top of her hands, and gave a slight nod. He lightly tapped his index and middle fingers against his lips and glanced around before leaning in. "Yu Dao was once of the most prosperous Fire Nation colonies. The city ran fine for nearly a hundred years under Fire Nation rule." Her eyes narrowed and he raised his palm. "And, I'd imagine the same would be true if the Earth Kingdom controlled Yu Dao."

"Okay...so what is it you have a problem with?"

"Something Aang had said has been in the back of my mind; the balance of the four nations. Even though the nations may have been internally split, the different factions were still a part of their nation. For as long as our histories go back, there has always been four nations." He brushed his hand through his hair and took a moment. "Yu Dao, and the other old colonies, are no longer a part of any nation."

"So, you're worried that these new cities could become their own sort of state?"

"Exactly. Although, that's if they make it for another couple of years."

"Think there may be violence?" His eyebrows shot up in surprise before giving a nod. Her lips formed a straight line. "I've had the same thoughts. Though, the people seemed happy with the election results."

"Yeah, the election results...I'll wait until one side outnumbers the other, and when they don't have a coalition government. At least it's better than them trying to tear each other to shreds."

"Thankfully, Aang acted when he did." Suki wasn't happy with the sombre mood that had descended on their date. Friendly dinner, she corrected. A small smirk appeared on her face and Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you're lucky he acted when he did, too; the Earth Kingdom seemed to have the beating of you and your army."

The serious expression vanished from his face, replaced by a playful grin as he leaned in a bit closer. "Maybe if Toph, Sokka, and a certain Kyoshi Warrior hadn't disabled all of my tanks, the fight would have been a bit more even."

"For the record, I was against that plan," she told him, sitting back in her chair and rolling her eyes."I tried to explain to those two that taking out your tanks would just give General How a reason to attack. Of course, once Sokka and Toph get an idea, nobody can talk them out of it."

"So, what did you want to do?" he asked, a slight tilt to his head.

"Well, Toph and Sokka wanted Aang to...fulfill his promise," she mumbled while scratching the back of her neck.

"Good thing they weren't the Avatar then. And you?" She stayed quiet until he gave a weak smile.

"I wanted to try to talk to you," she explained, turning her head away from him. "I thought I could get you to calm down—maybe get Earth King Kuei and you to sit down and talk."

"That's what I thought was going to happen, too. Aang told me that Kuei wanted a show of power; to prove he wasn't a weak leader. If those spies hadn't informed me of the attack, Yu Dao would probably still be a part of the Earth Kingdom."

"I still can't believe you were spying on the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko smiled sheepishly and dropped his head. "That was General Mak's idea."

"You still agreed to it." She gave him a gentle push.

He let out a chuckle and shrugged in agreement. He played with a loose thread on his sleeve for a few moments before locking eyes with his bodyguard. "Thanks, by the way." Suki made a small gesture for him to continue. "For being one of the few who still trusted me, even when I didn't deserve it."

"We all trusted you, Zuko," she said reassuringly, which was met with a slow shake of his head.

"As you said, Sokka and Toph wanted Aang to do what he had promised. Katara had to calm Aang down twice before he could follow through with it. She trusted him to make the right decision in the end. Mai..." He took a sip of wine, waving away the last name. "It seemed you never even considered that option."

She folded her arms and glanced away from him. "It's not that I didn't consider it..." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I just knew you weren't past that point, and you never would be." She met his gaze again. "I thought you seemed...lonely back then. You didn't have anyone to talk to—and I don't mean just discussing things with your advisors, but actually talk to. Ever since you found Ursa, Noren, and especially Kiyi, you've been...happier."

The Fire Lord stayed silent, as if expecting her to say more. He leaned forward and steepled his fingers, bringing them up to his face. "Why do you always forget to mention yourself in these lists of yours?" He dipped his head slightly lower, hoping to hide the fact his cheeks had begun to heat up.

Suki's felt her own face getting warmer, and it only turned more red when she saw the corners of his smile behind his fist. She couldn't find her voice, even with a hundred different responses flooding her mind. Zuko sat up a bit straighter, chuckled softly and gave a warm smile. With a shake of his head, he went back to his food. She watched him for another few moments, a smile on her face, before brushing a few strands of hair over her shoulder, and tucking back into her own meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm delighted to be able to upload this chapter. I'm so sorry about the delay; I underestimated the size of these chapters, let alone some of the difficulty I ended up having writing them. I was making updates on my profile, so I hope those that were looking for the new chapter spotted those. Now, I would have had this up last weekend, but a storm knocked out my internet for a couple of days. At least I got snow. ^^
> 
> Anyway, the chapter! Just Zuko and Suki chatting over dinner, what else could you want in a romantic story! This and the next one are both 3000 words, and I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as it is ready, as it is still being beta'd. I do hope I was able to deliver, due to the wait. I'm personally really happy with how it turned out in the end. Thank you all for being patient and continuing to support the story!
> 
> The next chapter will deal with the conclusion and aftermath of the date, and then we'll have the final chapter.
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

Zuko swallowed the last drop in his glass and looked at the mostly eaten venison on his plate. "I think I'll get sick if I eat another bite."

"I would have thought you'd at least be able to finish off your dinner, Zuko," she said, smirking as she pushed her empty plate into the middle of the table.

"There was much more on mine," he told her, standing and stretching his body. He held out a hand to her. "Ready to head off?" She looked up at him, reached for his hand and stopped just before she took it. She turned back to the table and downed her glass of wine, and then let him help her up. "You're okay, right?"

She rolled her eyes at him as they made their way past the other tables, the other patrons watching them out of the corner of their eyes. She waited until they were away from any prying ears. "Of course. I only had two glasses. What? Expecting a kiss?." She looked over her shoulders and smirked when Zuko's ears turned bright red. She let out a laugh and winked at him before turning away. While she kept her composure, inside, she was amazed at what she had just did. That was a joke and not an invitation of any kind, at least, that's what Suki told herself.

 _And if Zuko takes it as an invitation?_ She swallowed nervously, and didn't dare look back in case she did anything else that would just deepen the hole she was digging. It had been a great night, fantastic even, which made Suki even more worried of something happening. There was a deep feeling of guilt, as if she had already betrayed Sokka—well, maybe she had... She should have moved on from their first kiss by now. She thought she had, and yet, despite every logical part of her being shouting at her to let it go and forget, she wasn't able to. _Do I even want to move on?_

Outside, the coachmen were either busying themselves with their ostrich horses, preparing to leave, or chatting with each other. Some of the carriages had a rain cover over their ostrich horses, and drops of water rolled down them, although there wasn't much of a need for the shelter anymore. The Kyoshi Warrior breathed into her hands and rubbed them together, her eyes cast to the ground and mumbling to herself while Zuko looked along the street.

"I think our coach left without us," he told her and crossed his arms, a frustrated look on his face.

She continued to stare at the ground, her face a half-smile, half-grimace, and avoided his gaze. "I forgot about something...again."

He raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh. "It had something to do with me and Jin, didn't it?"

She gave a gentle nod. "I had thought that a romantic walk with just the two of you would have been a nice way for you to end the night."

"That would have been nice," he mumbled before glancing back at the dimly lit, but glistening street. "Well, we may as well get walking." Zuko began to walk off, but Suki's eyes went wide and she didn't move, forcing him to stop and turn around. "Are you not coming?"

"I thought you were just going to request someone to come and collect us?" she said, still not meeting his eyes. Her eyebrows knitted together and her mouth formed a tight, straight line. _Did he not hear me say romantic walk?_

"Well, by the time someone gets here, we'd probably already be at the house if we walked." He smiled widely even though her head was still turned away from him. "Plus, I suppose the walk back could still be fun." His grin slowly subsided when she didn't respond. He started to say something, but hesitated, unsure if he'd make whatever was wrong worse. She sighed and looked up at him.

"I just have to ask..." She bit her lip, and had to force herself to keep looking at him. "When you say fun, you mean in a friendly way, right?" Surprise and bemusement appeared on his face, and she hated the hurt that slowly settled on his features, knowing that she caused it. However, things were getting out of control fast, and she had to take back control unless she did something she'd regret. She didn't mind the harmless teasing—if anything, she treasured it, but what she had said just a few minutes ago had shook her. She was partly to blame for all of this; Zuko had apologised over and over when he kissed her, and yet she was always the one who brought it up again, or said something suggestive, even if she hadn't meant to.

It was her tone that had surprised him the most. Even when talking about Yu Dao, she hadn't sounded so serious. What confused him however, was the uncertain look on her face. "Of course, that's what I mean. I didn't mean to suggest anything," he said after a few moments, his eyes wide. "I could get us a carriage, or even two, if you'd prefer that."

She took a moment to glace along the street before she shook her head, giving a weak, but grateful smile. "Thank you, but I'd rather walk."

He let out a sigh of relief, that smile lifting a weight off his shoulders. "If I did something that upset you, then I'm sor—"

Suki had already strolled past him. She glanced back at him, a gentle smile on her face. "Are you coming or not?" She turned and continued on, leaving the Fire Lord to stare after her for a moment. He shook his head once the confusion passed, and let out quiet chuckle, his feet splashing in the puddles behind her as he jogged to catch up. They strolled together in silence for a few minutes until Suki slowed a tad. "I wanted to apologise for—"

"You have no reason to apologise for anything," Zuko cut in, matching her pace. "There were a couple of things I did that were out of—"

"Not about that," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck, and he shut his mouth. "I wanted to say sorry for getting your hopes up about Jin. Ty Lee had told me that I was being a too optimistic, and she was right. I should have been more reserved."

Zuko pursed his lips and lightly scratched his stubble before he chuckled, shaking his head. "It was silly of me to expect so much when I haven't even seen her for the last couple of years."

"You wouldn't have been that way if I hadn't gone a bit crazy with this whole thing." She shared a laugh with him.

"I'd rather not argue about whose fault it is, so lets say we're both idiots."

She covered her mouth, holding back a giggle. "Sure."

Zuko smiled warmly. After what had happened, he was happy to see that they were still able to enjoy each other's company. The last thing he wanted was to lose his close friendship with the Kyoshi Warrior. She let out a shivering breath as she hugged herself, rubbing the goosebumps that appeared on her arms. The Fire Lord watched her icy breath rise into the air before dissipating.

"Cold?"

She glanced at him and gave a nod. If he had known they would be walking back, he would have brought an extra robe that he could have given her. He considered giving her the one he had, but walking down a street in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se in a tight vest and knee-high shorts, at night, was not exactly dignified for a Fire Lord. A chilled breeze blew past them, and the Kyoshi Warrior hugged herself even tighter. He went to untie his robe when he stopped in his tracks, and started to laugh. "I'm an idiot."

Suki looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Not that I disagree, but what made you realise it this time?"

He stepped next to her and took a deep breath in. He splayed his fingers, and a small fireball leapt from his hand to the ground right underneath him. He slowly pushed his hands down and out, and the flames spread out in a circle. It seemed to hold for a moment as it neared Suki, and Zuko took a quick glance at her and opened his mouth, although said nothing. Suki did a little hop as the circle of fire continued to expand her, which stopped once it was a few feet away from them. He raised a hand and the fire intensified, getting a hum of happiness from the girl next to him. "Tell me if it's too hot," he said, taking a step, and the ring of fire followed.

"This is perfect," she told him and held her hands out. "You may be an idiot, but having a walking fire is always handy."

He looked down at her, his eyebrow cocked. "I could easily put this out and just leave you to freeze if you'd prefer?"

She let out an exaggerated sigh before lightly stepping in and nudging him in the side. "Thanks, Zuko."

"Anytime."

***

Zuko opened the door and stood aside. Suki smiled and rolled her eyes, giving a nod of thanks before stepping into the house with Zuko following in behind her and closing the door. He clicked his fingers and generated a spark that quickly grew into a small flame.

She looked back over her shoulder; the way the orange glow illuminated the Fire Lord sent her chest racing. She stopped at the stairs, turned, and bowed. "Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Zuko."

He waved away her thanks. "You've done a lot for me over these past few days, it was the least I could do." He bowed his head, a small smile on his face. "Honestly, I have no idea how to properly repay you for all that you've done."

Suki grinned and immediately stepped towards him, pulling him into a strong hug and plunging them into total darkness. He spent all of a second pondering if he should return the hug, then slipped his arms around her lower back. Zuko squeezed back gently, careful not to pull her into him. He could hear the little laugh in her quick breaths beside his ear as she stood on her tippy toes and leaned to the side of him.

"Carriage. Then we'll be even." She bounced away from him, smirking as she turned and headed upstairs. "Goodnight, Zuko." She heard him mumble goodnight to her as she hurried up the steps. She almost reached her room when she leaned against the wall beside the door and slid down until she was sitting. Her breathing was heavy, and she placed a hand on her rising and falling chest. "Get him out of your head!" she said quietly. Even after putting her foot down, she was still acting like a dumb young girl with a crush. She had tried to keep Sokka in her thoughts tonight but they seemed to disappear very quickly around Zuko. She hated the way every little glance or smile sent her heart fluttering. She stood after a few minutes, and stepped into the well-lit bedroom.

"Hey, Suki."

The Kyoshi Warrior jumped and stumbled a bit until she caught herself. She glared at the girl in her bed holding a knowing smirk on her face. "What in Agni are you doing, Ty Lee? You almost scared me to death!"

The mischievous girl's smirk only widened at Suki's scowl and she gave a nonchalant shrug. "No reason. Honestly, I'm more interested as to why you're wearing my new dress. I've never seen you in something like that." The acrobat tilted her head to one side. "I have to say, it's a lovely sight. I'm sure Zuko enjoyed it." Suki froze and started to stammer. Ty Lee tipped her head to the other side. "What's the matter?" A moment passed, and a gleam came to her eye. "Oh, I get it. You're giving your tongue a well deserved rest, right?"

"Don't you even start, Ty Lee!" she finally said, her face turning a deep red. "Nothing happened between us."

"I completely believe you." She twirled her legs in the air for a moment before sitting up cross-legged. She placed her elbows on the inside of her thighs, leaned forward, and rested her chin in her hands. "So, why are you in my dress?"

The flushed girl crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "Zuko and I went out to dinner. There was a reservation for the Royal Jade, and we decided to go," she explained, a slight stammer still in her voice.

"Uh-huh. And what happened with Jin? Wasn't she meant to be the one dining with the Fire Lord tonight?"

"I'll tell you the full story later, but it didn't work out between them. She was engaged to this—"

"I would hope it didn't work out, considering you then went on a date with Zuko," Ty Lee cut in, grinning.

"It wasn't a date!" the flustered girl hissed before she faltered. She sat down on the floor and stared between the gap in her legs, swallowing nervously. "At least, I didn't mean for it to be."

Her friend's smirk vanished and her eyes widened. She slid off the bed and knelt in front of Suki, placing her hands on her shoulders before pulling her into a gentle hug. "I didn't...you know, I was..." She shifted around so Suki could more comfortably rest her head on her shoulder. "Sorry."

After a couple of minutes, Suki lightly pushed Ty Lee off her and sat up straighter. "Tonight was lovely. Zuko is just..." She couldn't find the right word and settled for a sigh. "Nothing happened between us. I don't want anything to happen. Sokka and I are together, and I don't want to lose him."

Ty Lee gently tapped her lips with her forefinger and gave a nod. She could hear the uncertainty in her captain's voice. _The poor girl hasn't a clue,_ she thought. "Maybe you should assign someone else to be Zuko's main bodyguard for a while. Not spending every moment with him might help."

"Maybe..." Suki shook her head, took a deep breath, and her tone changed back to the one Ty Lee was used to: in control. "I'll figure something out. Thanks." She pulled her back into a hug and the acrobat happily hugged her back.

"You can talk to me some more tomorrow if you'd like," she told her, breaking the hug and standing. The girl on the ground smiled up at her weakly and raised her arms. Ty Lee rolled her eyes and pulled her up. "Now," she said, placing a finger on both of the dress straps underneath Suki's shawl and giving a playful smile. "Can I have my dress back?"

Suki stared at her a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Fine." She lightly pushed her off and Ty Lee let herself land on the bed and easily continued the roll, landing on her knees on the opposite side of the bed. Suki let her shawl slide off her shoulders and went to push the straps off when she glanced back at her friend, who was sitting back on her heels, an innocent smile on her face. "Do you mind?"

Her eyebrows shot up for a moment before she gave a laugh. "Nope." She giggled, swung her legs out from under her, and turned around. She waited a few moments until red cloth obscured her vision. She yanked the dress off her head and looked back, catching a glimpse of Suki just as she pulled the covers over her. "Thank you," she said while picking the ribbon and shawl off the floor.

"It's a beautiful dress," Suki told her when her friend sat back down, placing the folded garments beside her.

"It is, isn't it?" She looked back over her shoulder, a mischievous grin on her face. "I just hope you didn't stretch it out."

The irritated warrior raised an eyebrow, and only got a wink in response. "Ty Lee, you have five seconds to get out of my room. Five."

"Oh, come on, it was just a joke."

"Four."

"Did Zuko give you that headpiece?" The accessory rattled from being quickly placed on the table next to the bed.

"Three."

"What? You were being serious?"

"Two."

"Are you sure you don't want to cuddle?"

"One."

"You know, next time you're getting undressed, make sure there isn't a mirror on the wall you make me look at."

Suki lunged at the annoying girl, who fell off the bed trying to get away from her. The acrobat was on her feet quicker than Suki could grab her. "Okay, I'm going!" she squealed, running out of the room and closing the door.

The Kyoshi Warrior knelt on her bed and watched the door. When Ty Lee showed no signs of reappearing, she rolled her eyes and started to laugh as she climbed back into bed. The laughter died soon after, and she found herself staring up at the black ceiling, alone with her warring thoughts.

***

"Goodnight," Zuko mumbled as Suki headed up the stairs, not bothering to click his fingers again. He carefully made his way to his room, slipped out of his robes, placed his headpiece on the table, and sat on his bed. He stayed in the dark for a full minute before snapping his fingers. He stared at himself in the mirror, his golden eyes a brilliant glow. "I'm more confused now than I was before," he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

 _Suki spoke up about what was happening between us tonight, and yet she is still..._ He let out a deep sigh. _She doesn't seem to know what she wants...and I suppose neither do I._

"She probably has it worse than me; she has to think about her relationship with Sokka. I don't want to destroy their relationship, or my friendship with Sokka..." He let his flame go out before lying back on his bed and pulling the covers over himself. A sudden thud from above distracted him for a moment, but he soon went back to hoping something would spring to mind. "Maybe she shouldn't be my bodyguard for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Well... that was certainly an interesting chapter. I am sorry to those who are disappointed that nothing happened between them, but hey, at least they're actually acknowledging their feelings for one another. It's a bit of an improvement. ^^
> 
> The next, and final, chapter is about half way done. Easter Holidays are starting soon, and I'll be doing my best to get through it as quickly as possible it. :)
> 
> Huge thanks to Serenity for being my Beta.
> 
> Guest reviewers - Check profile for responses.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

_Two Days Later_

Conversations in the Jasmine Palace became hushed when Zuko, along with Suki and Ty Lee, walked in. News of his trip to the Lower Ring had already reached the Upper Ring, and rumours had quickly began to manifest. The term 'peasant girl' and a few other, less savoury, names were audible in the street as he passed by. There were more outlandish theories, spread by those who still saw the Fire Lord as an enemy, which stated that he had met with a spy to receive information about the Inner Wall. However, he gave no acknowledgement to any of these rumours.

Iroh beamed when he spotted the trio and hurried out of the kitchen. “My nephew returns already—with good news, I hope.” He caught the way Zuko's shoulders dropped and the shared glance between his bodyguards. He smiled apologetically and bowed his head. “I'm sure you have much to tell me. Take a seat, and I'll prepare some tea for us.”

“Actually,” Zuko started as Iroh turned. “I was hoping to talk to you, Uncle.”

Iroh raised an eyebrow and nodded. He led Zuko to the back of the Jasmine Dragon while the Kyoshi Warriors found a table. “It's good to see you did not forget to say goodbye to your old uncle before heading off.”

“How did you know we were leaving today?”

“I didn't,” he told him, giving a shrug as he poured water into a kettle. “I assumed that you would be leaving soon; there doesn't seem to be a reason for you to stay in Ba Sing Se much longer.”

Zuko let out a chuckle and scratched the light stubble along his jaw. “I suppose you have a point.”

“Did you find that Jin girl in the end?” he asked as he clicked his fingers. A small fire lit under the kettle. He heard his nephew sigh behind him and waited until he was ready to speak.

“Suki and I were able to find her fairly easily. Turns out she’s engaged.”

Iroh turned, nodded, and smiled gently. “A journey doomed to fail before it had even started. The fate of many a young heart.”

“You make it sound like it was pointless trip,” Zuko noted, getting a smirk from the old man. “It was good to catch up with her, though. She was happy to see me again, too, and her husband, from what she told me, seems like a good man.”

Iroh took a moment to turn back to the kettle and adjust the heat of his flame. “It sounds like everything went well then. How come you wanted to speak to me in private?”

Zuko leaned against the counter, his cheeks heating up as he tried to explain. Iroh simply busied himself with the tea while his nephew continued to stop and start his sentences. “I...I was...” He sighed and took a deep breath in. “I was hoping to get some advice on women.” Iroh smirked and looked over his shoulder.

“You have come to the right place then.”

Zuko shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“Nonsense!” Iroh boomed, clapping his hands. “I'll have you know, I was quite the ladies’ man when I was your age.”

“Well, I'm not exactly looking to be a ‘ladies' man’,” Zuko muttered, crossing his arms. Iroh's eyebrows shot up for a moment, then he closed his eyes, nodded, and gently tugged his beard. Zuko cleared his throat. “When I was with Mai, I thought we would be together...”

Iroh's lips formed a straight line and his brow creased slightly as Zuko continued to talk about his ex. He had liked the girl, even if she seemed quite dreary at times. It was a shame, really, to see the two childhood sweethearts' relationship end as it did. He could see the passion his nephew still had for her, and no doubt she felt similar. However, they weren't able to communicate or compromise; the death knell of so many lovers. He simply wished his nephew would stop focusing on her. It wasn't good for him. He found himself looking past his nephew to Ty Lee, who was the centre of attention for a group of guys. She and Suki rolled their eyes, trying their best to ignore them.

Iroh considered the stunning girl. She was certainly more cheerful than Mai, although that wasn't particularly difficult. Ty Lee was more lively than most people he had ever met. _Ah_ , Iroh thought. _My nephew would have his hands full with her, that's for certain._ However, she'd bring out the more adventurous side of him. _Agni knows he needs that. She would be able to let him forget his troubles and focus on the ‘now’, but would also be there for comfort. Hmm..._ Iroh slowly stroked his beard. _Would she be able to confront him or take the initiative in his times of need? Or would she wait until he came to her—if, he came to her? Hmm…_

Zuko's voice interrupted his thoughts. “Suki was actually the one who set this trip up for me.”

“Suki?” Iroh's raised an eyebrow while Zuko went silent for a moment.

“Yes. She's done a lot for me recently. She convinced my advisors to just allow me to come here, and planned out the entire trip and my dinner with Jin. She even accompanied me on it herself when the whole thing with Jin fell through.”

“Accompany you?” The old man grinned as Zuko stared blankly at him for a moment. “To dinner?”

Zuko eyes widened and his voice wavered as his cheeks heated up. “Well, I wasn't going to go, but Suki made a good point that we shouldn’t let good food go to waste.” Iroh chuckled lightly, getting a quiet laugh out of his nephew. “Honestly, she's been...amazing, to say the least.” Iroh nodded slowly, seeing the small smile on his nephew's face that threatened to grow even wider. “I'll have to repay her back somehow. Anyway...”

Iroh's gaze shifted back to the two girls as Zuko continued. _Ah, yes. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Capable of leading people and life in general, something any good ruler should be; caring, something my nephew definitely needs to keep him on the right track. However, she is also headstrong and would not be afraid to challenge him when required._ His eyes flicked back to the Fire Lord. _I could see how my nephew could develop feelings for her. Although, I'm not sure how well a non-Fire Nation Fire Queen would be received..._ As he watched, a confident young man sat down next to the wary captain and put his arm over her shoulder. She lightly smiled at him before sliding her katana out of her scabbard and hitting him in the gut with the end of her hilt. He doubled over, leaning on the table, then slowly stood and slunk away. _Oh...is she still with Sokka?_

“Uncle?” Iroh looked back at his nephew, who had a slightly puzzled look on his face. “Are...are you listening?”

“Of course.”

“Oh...okay.” He scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat. “What do you think I should do? _Should_ I pursue after another woman, or maybe take a break from relationships for a while?”

“Hmm. I believe one should always follow their heart, and if your heart already has a woman in mind, and it's truly what you desire, then I would say go for it.” Zuko hesitated for a moment, and Iroh glanced at two men deep in a game of Pai Sho. “Sometimes, in Pai Sho...” He couldn't help but grin when his nephew sighed. “We spend our turns thinking of what's ahead of us, taking a long time to find that one move that'll bring us victory. However, if we were to just focus on the now for a moment, we may spot exactly what we needed right in front of us.” Zuko cast his eyes to the floor, and Iroh could see the gears turning in his mind. The Fire Lord's head turned slightly and he went to look behind him, but stopped himself. His uncle narrowed his eyes, once more looking to the Kyoshi Warrior. The flirting men had limped away, one dragging his dead leg behind him.

“Thank you, Uncle,” Zuko said, standing up. “You've given me something to ponder.”

“Are you sure? There isn't anything else you wish to speak about?” Iroh asked as his nephew picked up the kettle and turned towards his bodyguards.

He stopped, but didn't look back. “I'm sure. What you said was more than enough.” Iroh grimaced, but followed after him.

“Finally!” Ty Lee exclaimed once Zuko placed the kettle on the table. “Good talk?”

He gave a short nod and shared a glance with Suki as he sat down. The pair quickly looked away from each other while Iroh began to pour the tea.

“Will you be staying in Kyoshi Island long?” Iroh asked as he handed out the drinks.

“A couple of days,” the Fire Lord said. “A week at most.”

“We're staying for the week,” Suki told them, and Zuko cocked an eyebrow. She smiled and gave a shrug. “The first day or two will probably be filled with discussions between you and the village elders. There still has to be a political reason we're going.”

“It better not cut too much into my beach time,” Ty Lee added. The other three rolled their eyes at her before laughing.

***

Suki sighed and shook her head at her Kyoshi Warriors as she reached the large courtyard where the Fire Nation airship was grounded. As she neared them, their chattering seemed to get louder and louder; excited talk of Kyoshi Island, rumours, old boyfriends, and other things that weren't fit for an elite guard to casually be discussing while on duty. They were the bodyguards of the Fire Lord, and as such, a representation of him. She knew Zuko wouldn't like seeing them like that, and she shouldn't either. There were smiles and small waves when the warriors spotted their leader walking towards them, but it all stopped, along with the chatting, when they saw her serious expression.

“Is something wrong, Suki?” one of them asked, looking around the courtyard.

“Yeah, I could hear you from the gate. Shouldn't all of you be helping to load up the airship?”

“We were helping,” Ami told her, getting nods from the others.

“Yeah,” Maiko said, unable to keep the guilty grin under control. “We're just taking a small break.”

“A small break?” Suki repeated, struggling not to smile herself as the group shared little looks and laughs with each other. She made a show of inspecting an empty cup and plate before placing her hands on the table and leaning in. “I suppose break’s over then. Get back to work.” She rolled her eyes at the lazy lot as they reluctantly stood and started to clear away their plates. “I know you're all excited about heading back home, but the quicker we leave, the quicker we'll be there. There isn't much left to be loaded on, anyway. I promise we'll get going the moment we're ready.” There were still a few grumbles, but Suki could see them working just a bit faster. In less than a minute, they were all back out in the courtyard, helping the other soldiers, all except Ty Lee. “Comfy?” Suki asked, looking down at the girl lying down on the now empty bench.

“Yep. Thanks for getting rid of them.”

“You know that order included you too, right?” Ty Lee gave a shrug and closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath before pouting as her legs were pushed off the bench. She heaved herself up when Suki sat down next to her, and eyed her leader for a moment.

“Everything okay?” she asked quietly, shifting closer to her and leaning forward to catch her eye.

Suki glanced at her friend and gave a slight frown. “I'm fine. Why?”

“I mean, are you okay after everything?” The acrobat checked that there was no one near before continuing. “I was just wondering if you wanted to talk after what happened. We could have talked more a few nights ago, but _someone_ chased me out of the room.” She smirked at the look Suki gave her.

“You're lucky that _someone_ didn't catch you.” The Kyoshi leader sighed and scratched the back of her neck. “I'll be okay. I'm going to use this holiday to help clear my mind. I'll take your advice, and try to spend some time away from Zuko.”

Ty Lee pursed her lips, but held her tongue. She had suggested that, but that wasn't exactly what she would have advised her friend to do.

The pair stayed quiet for a few minutes, watching the others work. Suki began to scan the courtyard.

“You'll give yourself wrinkles if you're always frowning like that,” the girl next to her told her.

“Shut up,” she said, but relaxed her face slightly. She turned back to her friend, who was resting her head in her arms. “You remembered to wake up Zuko this morning, didn't you?”

Her grey eyes widened slightly and looked away from Suki's gaze for a moment. “No... I thought you said you were going to wake him.”

“I strictly remember telling you to...” She spotted the corner of Ty Lee's lips turned up in a wide grin, the rest hidden by her arm. “Sometimes I wonder why I allowed you to join us.”

“It's because you love me.”

“That is just not true.” The two shared a quiet laugh. “Where's Zuko, anyway?”

“Is that him?” The comfy girl pointed with her eyes while keeping her head rested in her arms.

Suki saw her liege, standing at the end of the platform on the front of the airship. “Thanks, Ty Lee.”

“Happy to help, hun. Don't say or do anything stupid.”

“I won't,” Suki gave her friend a look as she stood and walked away.

“Good girl.” Ty Lee smiled and buried herself deeper into the nest.

“By the way,” Suki said, stopping and looking over her shoulder, “go help your sisters.”

Ty Lee let out a long groan before hauling herself up. Suki smiled as the acrobat trudged her way to the working warriors, dragging her feet with every step.

***

Suki carefully slid the door open and stepped onto the platform, keeping her eye on Zuko leaning on the railing at the end of the walkway. Lost in his thoughts, the Fire Lord didn't react as she walked towards him. He was staring out across the city; the airship was just tall enough to see over the buildings. The Kyoshi Warrior was just about to call his name when he glanced over his shoulder, a smile coming to his face. She gave a nod before wrapping one arm around herself and pulling the other close to her side, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

“Still feeling nervous about Kyoshi?”

A moment passed before she responded. “A bit. I'm probably being silly about the whole thing.”

“Trust me, you are.” His grin widened when she rolled her eyes. “You'll probably feel worse once we get travelling.”

“Thanks for the confidence boost,” she muttered, crossing her arms across her chest.

“No problem,” he said through a small laugh. “You'll be fine. You've spent how much of your life on that island—about sixteen years or so?” She cocked an eyebrow and gave a slow nod. “Exactly. Sixteen years following those traditions. That's not something that you'll just forget. You might make a small mistake at first, but I'm sure it'll all come back very quickly.”

The Kyoshi Warrior looked away from the Fire Lord, out into the city. She stayed silent for a few moments before her head dropped and she quietly laughed. “You still make it sound like I'm worrying over nothing.”

“Maybe you are.”

She looked back at him and let out another laugh. “You're a pest.” He shrugged in agreement and grinned, then took a step to the side and gestured to the free space beside him. She waved away his offer and shook her head. “I should get back to the girls. They wouldn't be happy if I didn't help a bit with the loading. I just wanted to give you this. I forgot to return it a few nights ago.” She pulled out the golden headpiece, held in small white cloth. “I thought Ursa might like it back.”

Zuko reached out to take it, but stopped himself. His brow furrowed for a moment and stepped back. “Keep it.” Suki's eyebrows shot up and brought the headpiece back closer to her body.

“Are...are you sure?”

“Of course. It's a gift.” Zuko frowned slightly at the way her body tensed up. “I’m sure my mother would approve. Besides, I did say you deserve something after all you've done for me.”

Suki didn't— _couldn't_ respond. There were a hundred different thoughts running through her mind. She searched his golden eyes for some hidden meaning in his actions, but she didn't find it. She looked down at the headpiece in her hands, the engraved Fire Nation insignia facing towards her. A thought stood out from the rest, and she smirked up at the Fire Lord.

“Thank you, but don't think this gets you out of getting me a carriage.”

Zuko seemed shocked for a moment before he burst out laughing, making her giggle. “Damn, you caught me,” he said jokingly. “Don't worry. I'll make sure to find a good one for you.”

“Seriously, though, thank you.” Suki brushed a few loose strands of hair off her face. The pair stood there for a couple of moments, holding each other’s gaze until Suki coughed and looked away, her face heating up. She glanced at the other Kyoshi Warriors and half turned away. “I should get going. Don't be on here during take off, it's dangerous.” Zuko nodded and gave a small wave as she hurried back along the platform, the original meaning of the gift ringing in her mind. 

_Welcome to the family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An with that, draws to a close An Old Flame, and brings us into part 6 of my series, Returning Home. I imagine the next part will be relatively short. Afterwards, I'll be continuing on my Tokka storyline, and I'm sure some of you will be delighted to hear that news! Once again, I'd like to apologise for the delay. Had a pretty busy Easter Holidays. Updates got a bit rocky near the end, but that's one of the lessons learned while writing this.
> 
> First and foremost, huge thanks to Serenity for being my beta throughout this story. Without her, I doubt this would be anywhere near the quality it is. It's been fantastic writing this story, and discussing it with some of you. A huge thanks to those who reviewed, followed, or favourited. It's always great to see people support my little series.
> 
> Any guest reviews will be responded to on my profile.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story, and as always I would love to hear what you thought, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Thank you all for keeping up with and reading this, and I hope to be able to post more soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to Serenity for being my beta for this story, she's amazing!
> 
> This chapter is a bit on the short side, most should be over 2K words from this point on. Planning on keeping to a weekly schedule for this story, so look forward to the next chapter soon!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this new story, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender or its character, they were created by Bryan Konietzko and Mike Dante Dimartino, and belong to Viacom.


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